DLTK's Blog
Connecting
March 2020
It has been two weeks but so much has happenned that it feels as though much more time has passed.
I know that it has been two weeks because I started practicing social distancing the day that the Calgary Flames game versus the New York Islanders was supposed to happen but the NHL suspended the entire season along with other professional sports leagues. A couple of days later the recreational hockey league that I play in myself suspended its season as well. I played a lot of sports growing up in western Canada and hockey has always been my favourite. I love to play and I love to watch. Suddenly I can't play or watch hockey or any other sport for that matter and the coronavirus pandemic got real for me.
Leanne and I started social distancing and isolating ourselves that day and since that time we have only been out once to pickup and deliver some groceries to our loved ones. We have gone on a handful of walks around the neighborhood and are looking forward to warmer weather so we can spend time on our deck and in our backyard.
Our days can get long and kind of depressing but we are finding it helpful to connect more with family and friends. I have spoken to my daughters, mother and brother more regularly and am trying to keep up with my friends and their families. We are looking for opportunites to support local entertainers that have decided to take their shows to the internet. That has been refreshing and makes things feel a little more normal even though there is nothing normal about it.
Last night Leanne and I spent a couple of hours playing an online video game with our daughter and her partner. It was a great way to connect with them and set all the stress and worry aside. It was a perfect escape. We all had headsets and were chatting and joking around while we were playing. What a fantastic time.
And then, just when I thought the evening could not have been better I received a message from my nieces. They would normally be attending their last few weeks of high school before spring break but schools have all been shut down in an effort to flatten the curve and they find themselves with a lot of time on their hands. So Leanne asked if they would like to work for us and spend some time building content for DLTK's Sites. My nieces had spent the day making video instructions for braiding hair. They decided that they would share something that they do to pass the time with our viewers and created tutorials which I am so pleased to have added to our sites. I am so proud of them and this project has allowed me to connect with my nieces in a way that I never have before.
The health officers and politicians we are watching on television are starting to talk about physical distancing and social connecting (instead of social distancing). After my experience yesterday, I am begging anyone who is reading this to make a social connection today. Your heart will feel so much lighter!
Stay healthy and stay safe.
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Author: Darren Guenther
Read more about Darren and see his other blog posts here.