The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

A person can immediately think of tons of negatives caused by the pandemic. Some are terrible, and others are just irritating. News articles and general talk amongst people have concentrated on the downside. I know I am a constant complainer because I saw my family in Canada twice in the last two years and have not seen them since September 2021. Right now, the risk in Saskatchewan is very high, and so I sit and chafe at the bit, bemoaning all I am missing.

However, on reflection, all has not been lost. They talk about absence making the heart go fonder. When discussing romantic love, this is not always the case. However, when referring to family, I believe it’s very true. I mull over my pictures of my grandkids and recall the happy times we spent in the park or playing board games. I remember the times when it was just them and myself. One granddaughter and I go to the movies whenever I visit. It’s got to be a special time for just the two of us. All this time for reflection has opened my mind to things. I have done well, and the things left to do with my family that I had not thought much about. I am eager to make up for the lost time. My heart has got fonder recalling and planning ahead. My heart stretches from here to Saskatchewan with the bond of family.

I have read about people adopting pets who had not had a pet before. What a great thing! Pets give immeasurable love and joy. I can imagine the cozy times for some working from home. A cat curled on their desk or a dog at their feet. The need for another living being has opened up new doors for these people that did not have pets before. There is a new dimension to their lives now. I have relished the time with my aging pets. Before the pandemic, I was on the go much more, and they were left behind. Now our apart time is much less.

The pandemic has given people the time to ponder the seasons and nature with all the wonder that goes with it. Busy people who usually don’t sit and enjoy the outdoors found themselves contemplating stars, trees, flowers, and more. I always liked plants, but I have become much fonder of them since the pandemic. I enjoyed my geraniums and petunias so much during the summer I couldn’t bear to leave them to the frost and cold. I dug everyone up and planted them in house-friendly pots. My window sills in the living room and computer room are lined with my summer plants blooming beautifully. I derive a great deal of pleasure in them. What was not a pleasure before is now. I have broadened my horizons!

The pandemic has given people more time to read. Those already avid readers grew to treasure the added time they had to flit from book to book endlessly. Those who had not read much before often became interested in books when alone time grew. People’s imaginations were expanded, as well as their knowledge. Online time grew, of course. This was negative in some ways but positive in others. Zoom became a way to connect with groups and individuals. People who would not have felt the need for zoom before embraced it. I joined with two school friends from kindergarten. Both of them are now in Victoria, B.C. Usually, all three of us are too busy to reach out to people so far in our past. We had a great time catching up on our lives and experiences since the last we saw each other( which would be grade seven). I am sending more texts to relatives with who, previously, I was not in such close contact. Sometimes it’s a quick--”still avoiding the virus??” My cousin in Edmonton, Alberta, and I have commiserated often during the last two years. I think we appreciate family and friends more.

In many cases, people had become sick of ordering in or picking up when restaurants were not open. I have heard of families who have begun to cook together or for the first time. They are experimenting with recipes they previously would not have. When you’re busy, you usually go with the tried and true! Boredom and more time have driven people to try new things. I certainly have done that during the pandemic. Some recipes are best forgotten, but others are now in my recipe collection and are gone too happily from time to time. I doubt I would have tried them in my previously busier life. My daughter and her husband have implemented a different date night. They pick a recipe to make together after the kids are in bed and a movie to enjoy. It’s not like going out to a restaurant, but they have to look forward to the new date nights. When raising my kids, I implemented the ‘ Friday Night Club”. We would pick up a pizza or Mc Donald’s. After we would go to the near 7, 11, and everyone got a slurp or Big Gulp. We would all watch a movie together or play board games back home. I would make popcorn. Everyone looked forward to the Friday Night Club. Since my children have been stuck at home with their children more, everyone has begun the Friday Night Club. Sometimes they pick up food, but often they make something festive, like nachos or homemade pizza. No 7:11, instead, pop from the fridge. The Friday Night Club lives on and makes the time at home together special.

I have begun shopping almost entirely online. I enjoy the vast selection, though the joy of browsing in a real store is undoubtedly missed. What a cornucopia of goods online, though! Ken would not necessarily think this was a positive, except when I find a tool or part to an appliance that will be delivered to the door! At that point, he’s all about online shopping. When the Fed Ex man arrives more often than before, he is not much of an online shopping advocate. Go figure. There’s no pleasing some people!

More people are camping. RV sales have skyrocketed. There is a great desire to see more than your area but in a safer place than a motel. There is no need to risk going into restaurants when you can cook over your fire or glamping in your own oven—seeing more of the world, even if just in your own state or province, is a beautiful addition to your life so much fun for families. I camped with my children, and we all have such happy memories of those times. I feel pleased that more people are opening themselves up to the camping experience.

I am not a Pollyanna. I wish fervently, as I’m sure everyone else does that this pandemic never happened. It’s impacted everyone’s lives badly. However, how much better is it to feel you have done some worthwhile things during this exceptional time. The harsh circumstances have not broken us. Let’s lean towards the thought that it has enriched our lives. I want to believe we are winners, not losers. We will not just survive but thrive!