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Things you don’t want to hear from the next pillow first thing in the morning while your eyes are still closed …
“my covid text says I tested positive”

We all fondly, or not, recall those back to school first essays on our summer vacations. This year those writings might prove to be a lesson in fragility and strength. A summer of yin and yang. As if pandemic times were not enough the summer of 2021 has proven to be a challenge beyond the norm.

In western Canada we faced record breaking heat for weeks on end bringing drought and dreaded locusts (grasshoppers for those on the urban southern prairie). Raging fires surround the globe and with it the smoke and air quality warnings are nothing compared to the devastation and loss to those evacuated or spending their summer go bags packed and on constant alert. Entire towns wiped out and forests lost along with precious wildlife.

So much doom surrounding our daily lives and just this past week now worldly earthquakes, hurricanes and Taliban take overs. For many it is hard to stay positive in this intense summer.

It is almost enough to make us forget we are still in a world-wide pandemic. 

That news story, fake news as many scoff, seems to be fading as double vaccinations are becoming the norm. Many people are boldly stepping back into daily life paying no attention to covid as they go about their day to day.

I, we, my household of 2, are not those people. We still mask, hand sanitize and pretty much stay home. We do not go anywhere we don’t need to. Minimal work not often face to face, outings only for necessities. We are not restaurant comfortable yet, nor have we ever had taken out or meals dashed to our front door. Our house has been void of any social and longs for a noisy chaotic big family gathering. We have had some extended family necessity rare back and forth as we navigate all the estate to-dos with the loss of my mother this past year and the quick onset of my father-in-law’s dementia, all a province away.

We go about life cautious and quietly staving off covid daily while trying to step through to some new normal. The past few weeks I have felt some personal pressure as my social media is full of people out there enjoying full on freedoms. Travel, restaurants, back yard barbeques, patio parties, pub crawls, concerts, and so much more. I am envious of the poster’s ability to throw caution to the wind and get on with life. Although double vaccinated in our household I am not that keen to jump back to full on fun. My husband is a little less leery as he has had to travel a province a way to help family many times this past year. I have not. 

My fears came to fruition this past week as he tested positive and Covid has now entered our home. This morning as it is finally lightly drizzling outside, he is still asleep on day 7 of fighting the virus. A healthy strong man, double vaccinated, and blown over by this virus. Around the clock sleeping, barely eating, chills, fevers, aches, cough and more and a week in. Our home in full on double isolation mode he is fighting it alone in his part of the house and me in mine desperately trying to work and not to be exposed.  
 Covid is real. As real as the fires, the smoke, the heat, the drought, and more. The difference is we can lessen the impact by being responsible fellow earth dwellers. Kindness and caring goes a long way. If it helps someone to not catch a virus, understand you might be unknowingly spreading it and consider staying home if you have symptoms and think about wearing a mask. If it helps the communities and firefighters desperately trying to save their homes then don’t go holiday amidst the desperate turmoil, don’t throw a burning cigarette out the car window, don’t light a campfire. Be kind to those working daily in the public and not knowing if they are exposed or not. These seem like natural human-kind things to participate in for the great of all, yet many do not see it that way.

Covid now in our home is firsthand proof that double jabs may not make you bullet proof. 

I truly understand how worn down many feel and are just wanting their social life back but when a healthy dual dose vaccinated covid-cautious man is now fighting the virus perhaps it is not quite yet the time for book club and movie nights. 

Say what you want, believe what you want, but be respectful that your rights are as equal as the next persons’. Choose kindness and caring. Choose respect. Stay socially diligent and try not spread a virus or a forest fire, or entitlement.

Excuse my lack of blogging for a very long time but life has been extremely intertwined but finally feeling enough distance between my writing life, my realtor life and my personal life.  I can again feel comfortable being opinionated. I enjoy writing with a know-it-all abandon as I am at that point in my life that I don’t care what anyone thinks of my side of any story. I write because it is who I am. I am an observer, a story teller, a word-girl.

I have come to learn that I am somewhat of a guide to many I cross paths with. I don't have all the answers, but I do listen to all the questions. That alone seems to bring a go-to role into my daily life be it work, family, personal and more. I take my small part in the world seriously, I don't have all the answers, in fact I don't know if I have any answers, but it seems people bring me questions and the discussions are always worthy. 

On the flip side of people voicing questions and my sometimes overly-logical unemotional path through a discussion to find an answer, I also find myself with my own life-questions. Writing brings me an understanding into self, how and why I think a certain way and a path to my own personal truth. Take it or leave it, agree or disagree, comment or hit delete. Landing on my words may somehow be a path to your own personal truth as is the writing process a path that leads to mine.