During this time of fear and anxiety, I wanted to say, I am finding solace in the response of our community. I am proud of what our small community is doing to keep everyone safe. For the staff at our groceries stores who are working hard keeping food on the shelves, filling PC Express orders, for the individuals who stepped up to help with deliveries, and for the retail stores and restaurants that remain open to serve customers.  

I am grateful for the courageous health-care and front-line workers who continue to show up each day risking their lives for ours. Thank you, you are truly heroes. What better way to to respect and honour them than, by washing our hands and continuing with physical-distancing to do our part to help flatten the curve.

Personally, I find solace in the quietness…it is a time to enjoy the solitude, for self-reflection, to read, meditate, to do my own yoga and spend quality time with my husband.  I am grateful for the warmer temperatures, spending time outside enjoying the fresh air, and when things get a little too quiet for my husband who likes to keep busy, we have some paint jobs to tackle.  

We are fortunate to have social media to keep us up to date on the news, to stay in touch with friends and family via group chats on facetime and enjoying the free on-line concerts. 

While this certainly isn’t how we would have wanted to get here, the impact of reduced industrial activity has never been clearer. Mother Earth is healing as well.  Air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions have dropped in many countries.  

I am thankful for the health of all my family, friends and yoga students and my heart goes out to all those who have lost loved ones or are suffering from this pandemic.  I worry for my own parents who are isolated and feeling lonely in their homes.  I worry about my mother who suffers from a pre-existing respiratory issue and the effect the stock market will have on us retirees. 

Putting aside all the fear and anxiety, what I have learned from all of this is that we don’t need that much after all.  We are safe and secure in our homes we have water, food and toilet paper…but mostly we have our health and faith that this too shall pass.  

When this ends,

may we find

that we have become

more like the people 

we wanted to be

we were called to be 

we hoped to be 

and may we stay

that way-better

for each other

because of the worst.

Love to all

Janet