It was Thursday, March 12. My husband and I had tickets to "Celtic Illusion" in Saskatoon—a show featuring Irish singing, dancing and magic. We were looking forward to it but spent the day waiting for it to be cancelled. As the afternoon wore on and there was no such announcement, we began wondering if we should just stay home. Oh, did I mention it was March 12…2020?
The night before, the NBA suspended their season. The next day the NHL announced a pause. Dominoes were tumbling fast as event after event was suspended.
But no announcement about the show, so we went. I would likely make a different decision today but at the time we were barely past the starting line in learning how a pandemic was going to affect the globe.
On March 24 the announcement came that there would be no Olympics that summer. They were jumping the gun, I thought. Oh, how little I understood at first. But we all became far more knowledgeable about infectious disease, methods of transmission and contact tracing as we listened to daily numbers and learning where COVID was spreading.
In some ways it seems so long ago. Something will spark a memory of being six feet apart, wearing masks, and becoming accustomed to holding online meetings. In other ways it is still so fresh. Often I find that when I think about a timeline of recent events I ask,” Did that happen before COVID or after?”
Significant moments stand out for me. First was the loss of a dear friend, Laurie. I shared at the time that although her death was not COVID-related, the marking of it certainly was. There was no funeral we could attend in May 2020 so we gathered family members on a beautiful afternoon in our backyard where our pastors led us through a service for her. I have since thought about all the families lined up outside cemeteries in Italy. They were given only 10 minutes to have a time of burial and then had to leave so the next family could come in.
Christmas Eve that first year was in our homes with gatherings no bigger than five people. My mom was living in Abbotsford at the time so we joined households on the phone, held our candles and sang “Silent Night” together.
How different it had been the previous Christmas when not only had she flown in to spend the holidays with us, she made plans to move here. A few months later those plans were shelved when the real estate industry completely shifted. Thankfully, she was able to make the move the summer of 2021.
With summer plans curtailed because of travel restrictions we made an effort to see things closer to home. My family reflected after visiting Shiloh, the first Black settlement in Saskatchewan; pondered the history of Pine Island; took our pictures at the Eiffel Tower in Montmartre; marvelled at the Opera House and architecture in Wolseley; walked through churches constructed of stone; and had picnics in lovely parks we didn't know were there until that day. We were forced into our own provincial backyard and that was a good thing for me.
But of course we remember the many difficulties faced during that time. Isolation, anxiety, loss of income, changes to weddings, graduations and other long anticipated events, challenges in getting an education, and the closure of businesses. Families were now spending a lot more time together due to lockdown. While it was an opportunity to strengthen bonds for some; others found it to be very painful, particularly if spouses disagreed on vaccinations, adhering to restrictions or if there had been job losses. The dissolution of relationships was the fallout.
It has been five years since those first pronouncements started changing how we worked, gathered, worshipped, shopped, celebrated and travelled. In the years since, some returned to life as they knew it. Others had to search for new jobs and new places to live. Still others suffer losses they carry with them --loved ones lost to the virus; health that simply isn’t returning; and doors that remain closed.
Much became apparent during it all: the importance of connection, the need for face to face conversation, the preciousness of family, and the benefit in not getting over-scheduled. While we were instructed in how to social distance, sanitize and keep ourselves safe, five years on the former are the lessons that matter most. That's my outlook.
