I’d like to start by giving a big thank you to all of our front line health care workers, many of them friends and acquaintances, who are no doubt feeling the strain of this terrible pandemic right now. I don’t know if we can say that enough. They are professionals doing the job they were trained to do and doing it amazingly well.
It’s been said maybe to the point of annoyance, but we need to do our part and help them as much as we can by staying home, following recommended protocols and practising social distancing. Loss of employment, little or no income, bills to pay, separation from family and friends, an uncertain future and the looming prospect of becoming infected yourself add to incredible stress and anxiety.
We will get through this but our world will be different. That’s not necessarily a bad thing either. I for one hope that policies and politics get a thorough review with respect to emergency preparedness. I do have to say here that I’m very proud and feel blessed to be a Canadian and see my fellow Canadians pulling together and sharing as they have. No one really knows how this will play out. I sense that it won’t be over too soon, and not soon enough.
One thing that I know is that this may very well be one of the most significant events of our lifetime unfolding before us. We are witnessing history in the making. We all thought that 9/11 changed our lives dramatically; well standby for more. It’s not often you get to see something touch so many people all over the world at once. Our grandchildren will one day ask us about the coronavirus and it will be a topic in the history books. It will be very interesting to see how society and politics as a whole evolve from here.
On the “cup half full” side of things the environment seems to be a happier and cleaner place with the pause it’s been given. Maybe we can learn something here. In closing, I’d like say this one last thing: stay home and stay healthy.
Kim Johannsen,
Cowichan Bay