Just what my soul needed during uncertain times

It felt surreal. It was discouraging.

Here we were, more than a year into this pandemic in Nova Scotia, and we were no further ahead than we had been a year ago – except for the fact vaccinations have started.

After all of the sacrifices; the previous lockdown; people losing their jobs; businesses facing hardships; the cancellations of weddings, proms, events and funerals; the masks; the arrows on floors; the social distancing; people being separated from loved ones and people having lost loved ones, here we were – back in lockdown.

Of course, even though we’ve lost out on and missed a lot in the past year, because of restrictions and protocols being followed we did get to do more in the past year that other hard-hit jurisdictions couldn’t.

Still, going back into lockdown – while understandable and needed – isn’t what any of us had seen coming when the month of April had begun.

And so on the eve of the lockdown I took Dr. Strang’s advice and went for a walk.

I had tucked a mask into my pocket as I had gotten out my car at Killam’s Wharf. In the end it wasn’t needed. There was no one to social distance from. It made me both happy and sad.

More so than anything, this alone time with the outdoors was just the therapy I needed to soothe my soul. The simplicity and peacefulness made it difficult to walk away.

As I got back into my car I checked the emails on my phone. Among them was a media release from the MHL informing that the hockey season for the Eastlink South division teams – including the Yarmouth Mariners – was over. No championship playoffs for what we all thought was a championship team. For me, it was another example in a very long list of things showing us that nothing is normal.

Still, as I drove home I couldn’t help but turn off the radio and put down my window and just listen. It was a chorus of peepers. That familiar spring sound.

A reminder that there still are normal moments.

And someday there will be more.