Zoe Marshall has posted about the challenges of living in a Queensland hub with two young children as Covid-19 forced NRL teams to relocate to the sunshine state to keep the season alive.
The wife of South Sydney star Benji Marshall, Zoe gave birth to daughter Ever in June as rugby league players and their families faced the reality of moving for the good of the game.
In an emotional post on Instagram this week, the podcaster opened up on the toll of moving, spending two weeks in quarantine and balancing family and professional life over what she called the “strangest two months”.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ-u5pDLZEj/
A post shared by Zoe Marshall (@zoebmarshall)
“Giving birth, a lockdown, 2 weeks in quarantine, another hotel for 2 weeks and finally arrived to where we will live for the next few weeks,” Zoe wrote on Instagram. “Watching our language and treading carefully around (son) Fox. Wanting him to feel this is ‘normal’ calling it a holiday – the way we frame it makes it true, right?
“I’ve had a few breakdowns – some tears. Lots of tears. And I feel for my fellow Aussies in NSW and Vic who are slammed day in and day out with hopeless news.
“My dad and Benj’s uncle have met my daughter once. The rest of my family haven’t. My best friends haven’t. It’s weird and I shut it out because it’s wrong and painful.
“I’m deep in the newborn world, drowning in feeds, sleeps, changes, baths, dinners, reading eggs and the rest. You wouldn’t believe me if I said I’ve hardly seen Benj. We’ve been sleeping in hotel rooms across from each other with kids on different schedules. Finally we have a little lounge we can squish together on. Heaven.
“We are tired. I’m tired. I’ve even been thinking of taking a longer break from recording @whatsthedeep. I know lots of you will be disappointed but right now I’m not there. I haven’t resurfaced. I don’t have my life sorted yet.
“We just had our first home cooked meal tonight for the first time in 5 weeks. So it’s time to recalibrate and land. To be fuzzy with exhaustion purely from a new baby and not from complete upheaval.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CSJq5yepsYu/
A post shared by Benji Marshall (@benji6marshall)
Zoe acknowledged while her situation has been tough, there are many more who have been affected in worse ways by the pandemic and she knows she’s lucky her sacrifices are because Benji and his fellow NRL stars are still able to play football and earn a living.
“I miss my home and my people and I know it’s awful for you in NSW and Vic. I know I’m bloody lucky to be here with my family to be together for my husband’s job. I’m beyond grateful. I know it’s not like that for so many,” Zoe wrote.
“So what can I do, or say? When it’s all such a mess. I guess all I can do is send you love. Strength. What little I have left of it. I send it to you. We need it. I can’t watch the news anymore. I can’t. I hope the tide changes. I hope. I guess for now that’s all we can do.”
The NRL finals are fast approaching and Benji’s Rabbitohs are hopeful of winning the premiership. The grand final is scheduled to be played on the first weekend of October.
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