There was a death notice

in the paper yesterday - for the mother of my cousin's partner. Yes, she was "old" I suppose and it was "expected" because she was ill but what the notice didn't say was that only one of her children can attend her funeral. 
My cousin's partner lives in London. He can't come back at present. He would have been on the first available plane here had it been possible. His brother lives in America. He would also have been on the first available plane. It leaves their sister to be the physically present comfort for their father. That must be very hard indeed. 
I am very conscious that we could face a similar situation because I have a brother living in another state and a sister living in another. I have a nephew living in the worst hit state - and yes, we are very worried for his safety.
But we are all within almost the same time zone. For R... his mother's funeral is at a time which will be in the very early hours of the morning. For his brother it will be late at night. The service is being "streamed" for them but I can imagine R... sitting there in their tiny London flat hoping that, at very least, the connection does not fail for some reason and he can at least view the service. Even with my cousin T... sitting next to him he is going to have that truly dreadful moment of homesickness I experienced when my paternal grandmother died and I was in London and my mother informed me by letter - a letter which arrived after it was all over.
Communications are much better now of course. There was no internet when I first went to London. Computers were still huge and kept in dust free rooms managed by specialists. (Remember those endless sheets of paper that tumbled out?)
But is that any real comfort for people like R..., for all the people who have lost someone to the wretched virus when they have been much closer but agonisingly far away?
The Senior Cat is due home this morning. I do not know how long we will be able to have him here. Middle Cat talked to the doctor yesterday and we all know it is going to be difficult but we need to do it if we can. We need to do it not just for him but for my siblings who cannot be here.
And, in a way, we need to do it for R... too. If we can organise "parent-sitting" for the Senior Cat then Middle Cat and I will go to the funeral on Monday - for R.... so that he feels his partner's family is supporting him as best we can.