by Sue Hodgson –
Life is so full of twists and turns. While I’ve been given my share of blessings, I don’t have enough fingers to count the number of times in the last 53 years that things didn’t turn out the way I had planned. Countless times I’ve been left wondering why certain things happened and others didn’t, or why just when things seemed to be going right, they took a hard left. How we interpret these kinds of experiences is key, because those interpretations become our stories. Amidst all the difficult conversations around the COVID-19 virus, a decision closer to home was having to euthanize our 17-year-old husky lab, Kuper, always referred to as “a kind gentleman.”
It seemed terrible timing to me that both these events could possibly happen at the same time for our family. Which twist and turn do we fear the most? I’ve dealt with both my parents’ deaths, marked by a funeral and eulogies, yet when Kuper passed away in front of me I was devastated, with a kind of fear in myself I’ve never experienced before.
As COVID-19 races around the globe, a different fear continues to spread even quicker than the virus itself in all communities. Shelves lay bare as people stock up on everything imaginable as they brace for a seemingly inevitable bout with this virus. The NCAA, NBA, universities, school systems and corporations of every kind rush to respond to the environmental challenges and threats this virus poses. We must act together to slow the spread of the virus and look after each other. But we need to listen to the facts, not fear.
Following the news of escalating protocols to contain the virus, it will have a major impact on businesses small and large. To that end, I would like to encourage/challenge each of you to consider acquiring gift certificates from Sidney and Saanich Peninsula merchants to provide a little cash flow during these difficult times.
We do hope you enjoy this issue of Seaside, from the illuminating cover of the Polynesian sunset (story pg 12) to the many stories about life on the Peninsula, living by the ocean is always a source of comfort and pleasure for our community.
