This weekend is going to be very hard on everyone. Easter is usually a wonderful time in Creemore. It is a time when people welcome their families for big feasts, village strolls and a huge Easter egg hunt.
None of us will be able to visit with our families, no matter how close they live. And it will be sad not to see their faces across the table.
It will be so tempting to nip over to the neighbour’s and go to the park, but we shouldn’t.
Acknowledging the deep disappointment and the next phase in an ongoing circle of grief is perhaps the best way to prevent ourselves from justifying irresponsible behviour. Owning the general suckiness of it and staying put is the best way to ensure that we will be able to sit around the table with our families in the not-as-distant future, than if we make exceptions for ourselves now. Health officials are saying people shouldn’t be mixing with other households during this time. We expect isolation will have an even greater sting during a holiday when, those religious and not, have embraced the tradition of bringing together family and friends.
The forecast for the weekend isn’t looking spectacular, which is only good in that it will discourage people from spending too much time away from the home.
Mental health professionals are telling us to look for things to be grateful for during this time. Let’s hope we can all be happy for the air we breathe, the sunshine, the meals we can prepare together, and Netflix, of course. There is a lot to be grateful for sure, but there is no shame in acknowledging that, for the most part, this sucks!
We are mourning the loss of so many things – a sense of freedom, dinner parties, community events, a care-free and cavalier approach to grocery shopping. The loss of these things are not felt as deeply as weekly pay cheques and non-essential healthcare, but they are felt nonetheless.
If we can call it for what it is – a huge bummer – and stick it out for the long haul we will be stronger, more prepared mentally for the so called marathon that we keep being told we are running. Except in this scenario we are training for the marathon whilst running it, and every athlete knows the key to success in marathon running is mental. We need to tune our brains, and fast.
The sooner we take every precaution to stop the spread of the virus, the sooner we can return to normal life. We can go out once more in town, we can visit with our neighbours, and sit on patios. Just imagine!
We are not yet doing enough and health officials remain concerned that the level of community transmission is too high. Clearview has not been hit but we are not immune. We have to nail this now, so we can come together once more.