The world sure looks nice outside. The snow is disappearing, the temperatures are rising. But we know things are crazy out there. The coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic has brought the whole world to its knees like we’ve never seen before. To bring it to a halt, or at least slow it down (flatten the curve), we are told we need to practice self-isolation and social distancing. But we do need to stay connected socially. We just need to stay away from each other physically. So let’s call it: physical distancing, social connecting.
Don’t panic (but I did)
The night before last I had been laying awake until 8am. Is it really sinking in what is happening out there? The horror movie-like scenario? I’m not even really scared for my own health. Although I’d rather not get it, as I find a bronchitis already scary enough. I’m not too worried about dad, who is in the highest hit province back in the Netherlands, but safe in a locked down care home.
But that night I was not in a good headspace. Panicking that people are not taking it seriously enough. That governments aren’t taking strict enough measures. That the numbers rise too fast and overwhelm our hospitals. That friends and everyone else with higher risks could get in serious trouble. That we can otherwise get seriously ill and not get the help or treatments we need and would normally get. That Nico may return to work in some weeks to an overwhelmed and overstretched healthcare environment and won’t be able to protect himself well enough.
Physical distancing, social connecting
And no, I do not want to be panicking. I want to use common sense though and acknowledge that we need to stop the spread as much as we can. Like, NOW. Prevent it from getting as bad as in Italy. Most people get infected from people that didn’t know they have the virus. We all have to behave like we have it, so we all need to take our responsibility to stay home as much as possible and only go out for necessities like groceries, medical appointments, getting fresh air without being in contact with others if that’s an option.
We need to do the right thing for our communities. Getting together with friends and family just for coffee, a meal or fun is not social distancing. It is not the right thing to do right now. When we (mutually) cancelled our appointment with our friend and hair stylist Dana a few days ago, she said it so eloquently: “We will get through it… when, I don’t know, but eventually we will all have the chance to reconnect and have beautiful hair again 🙂 ♥”
State of emergency
The government of Saskatchewan has declared a state of emergency a few days ago and yesterday, after my anxious night, they thankfully added stricter measures to it, like the closing of bars and restaurants as per Monday. I’m happy with stricter measures, but of course it will be devastating for many local, smaller businesses. We can support them by buying gift cards or ordering in from local restaurants or bars.
Stay safe and healthy
Please take the orders and guidelines seriously. It hasn’t been too hard for us yet, we were already home most of the time since Nico’s hip surgery in January. We are still allowed to go out over here, like for a walk in fresh air, as long as we keep our distance from other people. We did that for maybe 15-20 minutes yesterday (Nico can’t walk far yet and this was the first time at the park) and it helped to reset my mindset. Writing this post was also therapeutic!
Make the best of it if you are to stay home. I know it will be hard to not stress about lost income and possibly jobs. I hope the government comes through in supporting those in need, people as well as businesses. But try to cherish the moments with your family, do chores you have been putting off, take time for the hobbies you never have enough time for, paint the walls or purge the closets (at it!), binge-watch Netflix (always at that LOL), read, listen to music, do video calls, and exercise. March in place if you are confined to your house or get some fresh air away from people if you can go out. I guess one could even meet a friend if we keep our distance! This might be a necessity if you live alone. Thankfully I am locked up with my soulmate and our six kitties. Not that we never irritate each other (we’re only human), but we still like being home together ♥
