RESILIENCEVOX POPULI
Love and Lockdown I

Within barely three months, things have changed drastically for many lovebirds out there. This can obviously be attributed to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Many would not have predicted this in a million years and are trying to come to terms with the new reality. Some are miserable and some are hopeful but everyone is trying to make it work. Here are a few things they had to say (get a tissue because you might get emotional while reading these):
“Our communication has been affected. I miss her so much. On some days, I wan run mad. Maybe distance makes the heart grow fonder but it’s definitely not fun. I’ll give her a bone-crushing bear hug when I see her. I really miss her. Our communication hasn’t been all that good. I try and I know she does too. It’s easy to get lost in the cares and burdens brought on by the pandemic, and so one becomes relatively unexcited about everything. I’m more conscious of this than she is and so I have to put up with it until we figure something out. I can’t wait for this to end”. — Male, 400 level, Medicine and Surgery, Bowen University.
“Not being able to physically see him is really hard and makes me miss him so much, especially since we’re in the same city. To cope, we talk a lot (although not necessarily every day) and FaceTime. I can’t wait to give him a huge hug. I miss being able to look at his face and being in his arms. I miss just feeling safe when I’m with him and being vulnerable. I miss praying together and I miss not being able to go on dates. I miss him whining me about how beautiful I am”. — Female, 400 level, Medicine and Surgery, University of Ibadan.
“Even though my relationship has always been long distance, the lockdown and restriction have made it harder to communicate—there isn’t much to discuss as there is almost no change in daily routine. We try to discuss random topics and we video call once in a while. When next I see him, I’ll give him a long warm hug. I miss him a lot. It is frustrating because thinking about it, the aftermath of the lockdown might not allow us to see for a few months”. — Female, 400 level, Medicine and Surgery, Lagos State University.
“It was just the beginning of the lockdown when we had a lot of issues due to misunderstandings and my overthinking. We were used to seeing each other almost every day so the distance almost created a breach; but we are really good now, except for the fact that I miss him. We fight less now and talk every day. We send videos and write notes on how we miss each other and things we’ll do when we see. When next I see him, I’ll hug him…like f**king tightly! And the rest would follow. I really miss his scent and warm embrace and I can’t wait to see him. I have been waiting for news of resumption”. — Female, 400 level, Medicine and Surgery, University of Ilorin.
“I haven’t been able to get quality snuggles as usual and sadly, we are in two different states. We talk every other day and video calls are becoming regular. I agree that distance makes the heart grow fonder because I really do miss him to the point I start looking at old pictures of us when we were physically together”. — Female, 600 level, Medicine and Surgery.
“The lockdown and movement restrictions have affected my relationship because we haven’t seen each other since they began. We chat and call each other often. On a scale of 1-10 of how much I miss her, It’s a 10”. — Male, 600 level, Medicine and Surgery, University of Ilorin.
“The lockdown and movement restrictions haven’t really affected my relationship because we work in the same place. We see each other every day and I love the fact that I get to see her beautiful face every day”. — Male, Medical officer, UITH.
“Distance has affected us a great deal because I can’t see my baby. We constantly chat but it is not the same. I will scream and hug him when I see him. We have never been apart this long and I miss him so much”. — Female, 600 level, Medicine and Surgery, University of Ilorin.
“We went from seeing, hanging out and speaking to each other every day to chatting(every day), and occasionally calling. It’s really not the same. We now chat every day, giving full details of how the day went. We call each other on most days and video call sometimes because network will not let us be great. I don’t think distance makes the heart grow fonder. It just makes you angry and stressed when a text isn’t replied on time or the other person sleeps off mid-conversation. Long-distance relationships can’t work for me. I miss my partner soooooo much. You don’t want to know what I’ll do when next I see my partner. I wish we had spent more time together when things were normal. I find myself remembering all the times I was mad at my partner and walked off. Never again. Subsequently, I’ll cherish moments spent together much more”. — Medical Student, 600 level, University of Ibadan.
“I cannot touch and hold somebody’s son, as much as I want. I miss his smiles, voice and laughter. I can’t hold his hands as much as I want. I’ll hug the life out of him when next I see him. I miss him so much I’m not exactly sure how I’m breathing right now. There’s a hole in my heart that he fits perfectly”. — Female, Medicine and Surgery, University of Ibadan.
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