It’s funny how you think things will go a certain way, and then, poof! They don’t. Back in January, I don’t think any of us in Canada had a clue as to what was in store for us. But here we are, just a couple of weeks into having the Covid 19 pandemic touch our lives here. School is cancelled for the foreseeable. Non-essential businesses are shut down. More people than ever are working from home, and between them and the kids out of school, our internet services are maxing out at times. We have to shelter in place, save for essential work and the buying of necessities. We wash our hands constantly. And some of us, like me, find themselves unemployed. My place of work (day job) shut down this past week, and truthfully, there are not a lot of businesses looking for web designers (my side hustle) at the moment.

It’s been a roller coaster ride these past few weeks. Coming to terms with what is happening isn’t something you can accept and be ok with just overnight. Acceptance comes in stages, and some of us didn’t get there without tears and kicking and screaming. Even though this is our new normal, it’s still stressful. I have a pre-existing condition that could cause big problems if I contract the novel coronavirus, so my awesome hubby has agreed to do the shopping for us and for my mom. This on top of his job being deemed essential, so he goes out every day to work. I’m lucky to be able to sit it out at home, and doubly lucky that we still have one income coming in. But I worry about my hubby having to go out into the world that seems ever more dangerous now that we have cases of the virus in our community. But I am thankful that I can hunker down in my warm house that is well stocked and be grateful that the people I love are currently safe.

Finding meaningful things to do is tricky. Once the house is clean, and you’ve caught up on your sleep and Netflix, now what? Days of jammies and snacktime? As for me, I decided that if I’m getting bored and overwhelmed by the media, I’m probably not the only one. So, using those web design skills that are not currently in demand, I created a virtual neighbourhood website for my little town. I am hoping it will be a positive place for the community to go to be inspired and to feel connected when life seems strangely void of inclusive behaviours. I’m hoping that people will take the time to visit and to submit their photos and stories to share with others. And in doing so, maybe we will all feel a little less alone and find our smiles again, too. It’s a little thing, but sometimes the little things can mean a lot. Hope is the one thing I think we all could use a daily dose of these days, and maybe this is one way to create it.

Wishing you all good health and that you remain safe.

www.petrolia.virtualneighbourhood.ca