Sarah Warsi

So here we are, nearing the end of October. I have been trying to think of something other than this pandemic to write about – but it’s been hard. Somehow anything and everything always gets tied back to it!

Today I was driving through a plaza parking lot and observes at least two stores side by side that were visibly closed and shut down – for good. It was such a sad sight to see – and yet another sign of the times. With ‘modified’ lockdowns in place again, I can’t imagine how so many of these businesses that remain afloat will continue too. I also think it is unfair to certain establishments for being forced to shut down after having invested so much money and resources into making their environments as safe as possible.

COVID-19 has amplified life’s regular challenges and difficulties. For example, I read a story recently where a woman who lives in the Philippines was given a special travel exemption to visit her terminally ill sister in B.C. and it just dawned on me, again, what kind of reality we are living in. You can’t even pick up and go see an ailing loved one without having to jump through a bunch of bureaucratic hoops now and even then, there are no guarantees. Under a previous rule, the federal government did not recognize siblings as immediate family, which floored me, and once that absurd rule was lifted, this woman was finally allowed to travel to see her sister. How on earth is a sibling not considered immediate family? Anyways, I just hope that rule was changed permanently.

I had a feeling that the ‘calm’ that was felt as cases started dwindling around mid to late summer, would not last.

And here we are.

It’s been labelled as the ‘second wave’ – and boy has it come with a vengeance.

I say this cautiously, but at this point, we need to navigate through it rather than crawl back into a hole again. Our mental, physical and emotional well-beings are at stake. When this all first started, it was different. The sudden lockdowns, the fear and panic – it was all very real and new.

Now, eight months later, (and without making light of it), we are practically subject matter experts at ‘pandemic life’. We know that a face mask is now on the list of things you grab as you’re stepping out. A face mask is also now comparable to the well-known concept of looking for your sunglasses when they are on your head. I can’t tell you how many times I have feverishly looked for my mask, only to realize it was hanging off my ear the whole time. Definitely a sign of the times.

I dread what the winter months will bring as flu season will weave itself into this whole mess. Winter brings its own form of depression, I find, and couple that with the ‘doom and gloom’ that many of us have already been feeling this whole year, it won’t take much for a person to just fall apart.

All we can do is maintain our own inner peace however which way it works for us – whether it’s by keeping active (running, walking, biking – there are options), learning a new recipe, reading a good book, listening to feel-good music, chatting with family and friends, extra play time with your pet if you have one, more bonding with the kid(s), if you’re a parent, taking part in fun outdoor fall activities – anything to give us a healthy distraction that does not include venturing over to your social media account every 5 seconds. (That struggle is real, I know). Give yourself as much ‘me’ time as you can to refocus and recharge. Your mind will thank you.

Peace and Blessings