NANCY'S NOTES

Just when we think everything is cancelled...

These are difficult times, and really, we’ve never seen anything like it. So far, we have fortunately been spared the worst of COVID-19 in our part of the world. I hope that’s because we are doing what we need to do to keep the virus from spreading. I hope that’s because we are staying home and limiting our contacts with other people. I hope it’s because we are rural, more remote, and less people-per-square-foot than the more populated areas. I hope it’s not because it just hasn’t gotten here yet.

I don’t have to tell you, however, how difficult it has been to give up all the things that we love to do, places we love to go, people we love to spend time with. This has been really tough on all of us, and we are not out of the woods yet. Whatever it is we’ve been doing or not doing that has kept us from becoming a “hot spot” of COVID-spread, we must continue. But that’s not easy.

First it was ballgames, with goals and dreams shattered. It was Spring Break travel plans cancelled. It was Prom dresses that had already been purchased and tuxedo orders placed. It was grandchildrens’ birthday parties that had to be attended by Facetime instead of in person. Then it was one cancellation after another, breaking news not by the day but by the hour. And just when we thought it couldn’t get worse, it did.

Meeting up with friends for dinner at a restaurant is cancelled.

Shopping at the mall and other retail stores is cancelled.

Attending school and church services is cancelled.

In-person meetings, family reunions, concerts, thousands of airline flights... all are cancelled.

Many business have had to close, and nearly seven million Americans have filed for unemployment.

But enough about everything we cannot do, everything that has been cancelled. After all, we’re all in this together.

That very statement — “We’re all in this together” — really struck me one day when I heard it on an advertisement. (Speaking of, have you noticed how nice all the advertisements are these days?)

There are always catastrophes and disasters: earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, explosions, floods, and on and on. Seems like there’s always something going on somewhere, and as long as it doesn’t affect us, we can feel bad for the people who are living with it (whatever “it” is), or be sad about those who didn’t survive it, but we don’t really get too emotional about it. If someone we know is dealing with a disaster or crisis, we become more personally involved, but it’s still nothing like if we are in the throes of a crisis ourselves.

But this crisis, this pandemic, is affecting everyone, everywhere. There aren’t many things in history that have affected the GLOBAL population. We truly are ALL in this together.

But rather than listing our losses and cancellations, I really would rather dwell on the positive things, the ways this health crisis has brought us together as families, neighborhoods, communities and towns.

Because, after all, going on a bear hunt is not cancelled.

Hiking a trail at Webster Lake is not cancelled.

Family game night around the dining room table is not cancelled.

Reading a book or putting a puzzle together is not cancelled.

Calling or Facetiming a friend or family member is not cancelled.

Laughing has not been cancelled.

Sharing HOPE and LOVE and COMPASSION with others has not been cancelled.

Let’s embrace what we HAVE instead of what we don’t have, always remembering this: We really are ALL in this together.