Giving thanks

Many Canadians are suffering from “Covid Fatigue”. None of us expected that social distancing, family bubbles, facial masks and self isolation would go beyond a few months. We were all ready to agree to the terms proposed by Health Canada officials and provincial health authorities for several months beginning in March. We all hoped that we would see the virus disappear just like that of the traditional flu season.
But our hopes have been dashed. We are tired of this virus and the impact that it is having on our lives and we see no end in sight for a significant time well into the future. This weekend most families will celebrate Thanksgiving. It is a time for families to come together and recognize the blessings of the past year. But this year it will be different. Provincial Health authorities are telling us to restrict the size of our gatherings to 10 or fewer persons. That means that many of our family members and immediate families will not be at the dinner table. The warm fellowship among family and friends that is shared along with the variety of traditional dishes will decrease.
We may work on a virtual meal sharing family across Skype and Zoom in multiple locations. It won’t necessarily be the same, but technology can make it happen.
We can still give thanks that the virus has not had the same impact on district residents that it is having in much larger centres across Canada. We can give thanks that Rainycrest has been free of this harsh disease that has claimed so many elderly seniors in other long-term care homes in Ontario and Quebec. We can say thank you to the nurses and care givers in the Riverside facilities across the district who care for our loved ones.
We can give thanks to the essential workers who every day stock shelves and fill counters with fresh meat and produce in the stores and supermarkets across the district.
We can be thankful for the teachers and daycare workers who through challenging times are working with our youth across the district.
Snowbirds may bemoan the fact that instead of spending the winter in the southern US states and Mexico, they will be forced to stay in Canada. It may not be the outcome we wanted back in March of this year. Most of all we can all be thankful that we are healthy. We have much to be thankful for. When you gather around your dinner table this weekend, think of all the good things that have occurred in your lives this year. We truly can be thankful.