August 17, 2020

Pandemic Things I Love

• the sound of neighbours’ voices and laughter drifting over the backyard fences as they sit outside on summer evenings
• my children kicking the soccer ball outside
• people taking up space in the street—walking, cycling, playing ball, protesting, etc. etc.
• supporting small and local businesses
• books delivered to my porch
• the occasion of bin night
• local indie bookstores putting their stock online
• the advent of 3pm cake break
• takeout from a local restaurant at least once a week
• a reclaiming of public space—park benches have never been more precious
• thanking people who move to give me room on the sidewalk
• rainbows in windows
• learning to be patient
• ice cream every day
• encouraging billboards (there is one on highway 401 near Oshawa that says, “This is hard and you are doing great.” It makes me cry.)
• picnics in the park
• it turned us into a family of cyclists
• and into seasoned explorers of alleyways
• it has forced us to re-imagine the way we live our lives, and made visible the forces of poverty and systemic racism so that those of us with privilege can’t ignore it any more.