A year ago this week, when the global pandemic was first declared, I had no idea that one of my job duties would soon become writing weekly inspirational and supportive messages for our readers.
The afternoon of Thursday, March 12, 2020 may be permanently etched in my psyche. It started out as a typical work afternoon, including having coffee meeting at Kit Café in downtown Peterborough with a colleague. We were talking about a show his production group had coming up for Mother’s Day at the Market Hall.
The World Health Organization had the day before declared a global pandemic, so we were aware of the news breaking. But the future was very unclear.
I recall that we talked about the possibility of our major performance venues needing to close, but we felt that, surely, it could never come to that.
A few hours later, I walked into a committee meeting at Peterborough City Hall and registered the shock on everyone’s faces. Premier Ford, along with several of his cabinet ministers, had just announced Ontario’s schools would be closed until April 5. The following week was March Break, travel was not recommended, and there was talk of airport and border closures.
And so it began. For all of us at kawarthaNOW.com, the weeks that followed were hectic and exhausting. I recall calculating that we were working 90-hour weeks to report on local pandemic news. The need to shift our news coverage was rapid and immediate. We were suddenly also monitoring Ontario and Canadian news, with daily briefings from politicians being available online for the first time. We also lost hundreds of events from our online event system — which typically runs at 1,200 events — as cancellations were rampant.
The following Monday, we were faced with a dilemma in planning our weekly VIP enews, sent to over 11,000 of our readers. Our enews has always been our recap of the week’s top stories and has been sent every Wednesday without fail since 2015. We usually give away tickets to great local events, including concerts and theatrical events, as well as local promotions. We had always avoided hard news if possible, as our enews was intended to be a pleasant morning read — a lighter promotion of local and community.
We had never published a pandemic version of our enews, so it was a challenge to avoid dramatic headlines. Most of the major events that we promoted were cancelled. We quickly adjusted our enews format and called it a “special edition” version. I felt I should add a message to our readers to address this format change, and I tried to make it inspiring given the anxiety, uncertainty, and fear all of us were experiencing.
The feedback we received encouraged us that we were on the right track — people needed to hear that message. We had an opportunity and a responsibility to help our readers know that they were not alone and that their communities were working together. So I kept going, writing a new message every week.
Over the past year, I strived to figure out — one week at a time — how we were feeling as a community, and the message our readers needed to hear. We’ve received several requests to publish all the messages, so we’ve decided to do this to mark the first full year of the pandemic.
You’ll find them listed below, with a brief description of each week’s thought and a link to the complete message. I’ve tried to describe where we were in these singular moments in time, and why I was inspired for that week’s theme. It’s really interesting to browse the top stories of any given week as a recap of this extraordinary year.
I hope you’ll appreciate this look back and, if you’re not yet a weekly subscriber to our enews, you can sign up at http://eepurl.com/hcyQiX.
Stay safe and take care of each other.
March 18 – Week 1 – Local leadership
In our first week of a global pandemic, I was inspired by our local organizations organizing quickly to work together.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/march-18-2020
March 25 – Week 2 – We needed hope
It became apparent in week two that we needed to keep moving. Hope comes in many forms and I was inspired by filmmaker John Chester, creator of “The Biggest Little Farm”.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/march-25-2020
April 1 – Week 3 – Historic times
At a time when we were coming together, many were drawing comparisons to the great World Wars. A quote and the inspiration of Eleanor Roosevelt seemed appropriate.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/april-1-2020
April 8 – Week 4 – Resilience
As our adrenaline collectively waned, the need to think about resilience surfaced.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/april-8-2020
April 15 – Week 5 – The new normal
Adapting to change and thinking longer term required a more serious quote from Charles Darwin.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/april-15-2020
April 22 – Week 6 – Fear, anxiety, stress
We all needed the calm words of Dr Bonnie Henry in this week.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/april-22-2020
April 29 – Week 7 – Thinking longer term
This pandemic is not a sprint, it’s a long-haul, kick-ass, ultra-plus marathon. Thinking long term is a necessary step.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/april-29-2020
May 6 – Week 8 – Is the universe bizarro?
Just when you think that things cannot get more bizarre, week eight brought us murder hornets, a polar vortex in the May weather forecast for Mother’s Day, “the old normal” is a thing, and I stage-style my Zoom background. A little gratitude for all the good was needed this week.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/may-6-2020
May 13 – Week 9 – Nine very long weeks
It was week nine when online debates and social media heat ramped up. I felt it necessary to draw on Nick Lowe as a quote to promote peace. But I also commit a serious faux pas in including a J.K. Rowling quote on acceptance. This enews also included a very special, physically distanced version of Nick Lowe’s “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding”.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/may-13-2020
May 20 – Week 10 – Fear
Reopenings this week trigger joy and fear, and also debates and concern.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/may-20-2020
May 27 – Week 11 – Are we a society divided?
Reopenings, mask debates, testing methods — it was all colliding in week 11. The divide was profound and inspired me to quote Desiderata. This week’s message was dedicated to my late dad, who loved Desiderata and could quote the full text by heart.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/may-27-2020
June 3 – Week 12 – Maelstrom
The long history of racism in the United States once again reared its ugly head. It reminded us that racism exists here in Canada as well, just under the surface of what we like to think is a just society. Week 12 was profound and has had a lasting impact to make change.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/june-3-2020
June 10 – Week 13 – Speaking out
There is a first time for everything, and during this week I had been called a “Karen” for the first time. So I wrote about speaking out, even if your voice shakes, and added my favourite Baroness von Sketch video “That Lady”. Enjoy.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/june-10-2020
June 17 – Week 14 – Patience
We hit a wall as a society this week while dealing with guidelines, bubbles, rules, floor arrows, and masks. Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting. And we needed it in abundance.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/june-17-2020
June 24 – Week 15 – Pandemic pivot
There it is. I used the pivot word. This week was all about thinking longer term and shifting our thinking to adapt.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/june-24-2020
July 1 – Week 16 – True North Strong and Free
I am not the jingoistic sort. But when I wrote our July 1st message I was very proud to be Canadian and it was my favourite message. In comparison to other countries and on the global stage, we were leaders at the time.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/july-1-2020
July 8 – Week 17 – Acts of kindness
A higher evolution of compassion shines through.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/july-8-2020
July 15 – Week 18 – Self-care is survival
By mid-July, I asked readers “Are we on the edge of losing it?” The previous year around this time I had lost a friend to suicide. Mental health was weighing heavily on my mind as we moved ahead into an unclear future.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/july-15-2020
July 22 – Week 19 – On communication and messaging
When we hit this week of mandatory face coverings across the Central Ontario region (which is all of our readership area), the gloves came off and the name-calling on social media came out — and I had to talk about crafting a better marketing message.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/july-22-2020
July 29 – Week 20 – Radical acceptance
I have a surreal moment of bizarro universe this week. While this moment did not feel real, it was just another small jolt of reality and a push toward radical acceptance.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/july-29-2020
August 5 – Week 21 – Compassion, and compliance
On mask wearing being the right thing to do.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/august-5-2020
August 12 – Week 22 – Fear and kindness
Five months into the pandemic, we were a society divided. But the one thing we had in common was fear.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/august-12-2020
August 19 – Week 23 – Living with uncertainty
The uncertainty for parents became very real this week, as the back-to-school debate raged. What was the right thing to do? Was a second wave imminent?
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/august-19-2020
August 24 – Week 24 – Optimism and cracking the glass ceiling
It’s true that living in a pandemic (or any other global emergency) requires digging deep for hope and optimism. It was a surprise then, when the United States of America served us a big serving of historical hope.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/august-26-2020
September 2 – Week 25 – We cannot live in fear
My 95-year-old mother refuses to live in fear. And she is right — living a life immersed in fear is not living.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/september-2-2020
September 9 – Week 26 – Holding on to hope
Is it a surprise that we hit a wall of despair at the half-year point? But there was reason for hope and striving to adapt.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/september-9-2020
September 16 – Week 27- Community knows no borders
School returned and cases spiked as news of a second wave broke. I had to write about our connectedness and acting responsibly as a community.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/september-16-2020
September 23 – Week 28 – Bend with the wind
Big case increases, the second wave, and the unknowns took their toll. We had to dig deep for optimism.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/september-23-2020
September 30 – Week 29 – Playing the long game
We hit the six-month mark hard, psychologically, and dreaded a second winter lockdown. Why we need to take the high vantage point and long-term view.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/september-30-2020
October 7 – Week 30 – Thankful for small things
As we headed into Thanksgiving week, we were angry and irritated. Fragile, exhausted, tense, and defeated. Which makes gratitude and giving thanks a very important process.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/october-7-2020
October 14 – Week 31 – Hope
After many weeks of large personal sacrifices, we had to dig deep to find new hope.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/october-14-2020
October 21 – Week 32 – Rest
I checked in on our collective breaking point, and explained why we must learn to rest and not quit.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/october-21-2020
October 28 – Week 33 – Fighting fear with action
After many weeks of in-school stress, online learning, second wave news, and relentless COVID statistics, I had to talk about the need for action in the face of fear.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/wednesday-october-28-2020
November 4 – Week 34 – Leadership
On the eve of the American election, I had to talk about leadership. Concise, brave, and decisive leadership had been of immense importance in the face of a global emergency.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/november-4-2020
November 11 – Week 35 – The return of hope
A collective joyful sigh of relief enveloped the world and we could breathe — just a wee bit — again. Hope, optimism, relief.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/november-11-2020
November 18 – Week 36 – Maintaining optimism
As the promising news of two potential vaccines appeared in news headlines, we were heartened but needed to hone our skills in optimism.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/november-18-2020
November 25 – Week 37 – On adapting
As winter settled in this week, there was a need to manage angst and adjust our sails. Self-care is not a nice-to-do indulgence — it’s a critical-for-survival practice. We must accept and adapt.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/november-25-2020
December 2 – Week 38 – Be kind
In chatting with a colleague, she commented how fragile we all are. After 40 weeks of pandemic, we were the walking wounded and needed kindness more than ever before.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/december-2-2020
December 9 – Week 39 – On the solstice and light
There was cause for hope, optimism, and focus as we planned for the holidays.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/december-9-2020
December 16 – Week 40 – A time to relax
It was the perfect time of year to think about our personal rest and rejuvenation.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/december-16-2020
December 23 – Week 41 – Finish strong
As we reached the end of the pandemic year, I issued a call to action for patience, understanding, kindness, and safety for all. We could finish strong.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/december-23-2020
December 30 – Week 42 – Focus on those who get you through
In the depth of winter, we know self-care and mental health are critical. But you can also focus on “those who get you through”. This week I asked “Who has your back?”
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/december-30-2020
January 6 – Week 43 – The optimism of a new year
Has humankind ever needed to put a calendar year behind us so forcibly? It was a fascinating week to watch the desire for closure in progress.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/january-6-2021
January 13 – Week 44 – On compassion
It was a week of major upheaval south of our border, and an overwhelming weariness with online news and social media. But wait — do I sense a new trend of tolerance emerging? This week I talked about compassion.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/january-13-2021
January 20 – Week 45 – On integrity
We were well into the second round of the provincial emergency and our third week of parents in Ontario managing online schooling and tech support. We were about six and a half months away from a fully vaccinated province. We were tired, but focussed. We knew this is a long game. This is the week when I thanked people for their integrity in following guidelines.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/january-20-2021
January 27 – Week 46 – Forward momentum
For 46 weeks, we had endured a rollercoaster of an unparalleled historic pandemic. Our emotions were the casualty of news headlines and lockdowns. But we kept moving.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/january-27-2021
February 3 – Week 47 – Adapting
I often ask my social media connections for one word on how they are feeling in any given week. It helps me stay in touch with everyone, but it also keeps me in touch with the collective psyche at any given moment in time. This week, people were all over the map. Exhausted, numb, healing, uneasy, anxious, bored, accepting, hopeful — these were just a few examples. But we are resilient.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/february-3-2021
February 10 – Week 48 – Patience tested
We had now been on the rollercoaster for 48 weeks — long enough to realize we’re going to be tested, again. Lockdown. Reopening. Curbside pickups. Closures. Regional rules. We wanted off the rollercoaster. We were tired of the ride — at least we all agreed on that one thing.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/february-10-2021
February 17 – Week 49 – Taking it one day at a time
The need to get through — at a pace of just one day at a time — is sometimes what we need to do.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/february-17-2021
February 24 – Week 50 – Local heroes
Not all of our heroes are working in front-line health care. Many are working to keep our communities moving ahead — despite all odds.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/february-17-2021
March 3 – Week 51 – Kindness is contagious
In a very challenging week of bad local news, I had to ask why kindness is elusive in stressful times. Are we moving to self preservation? The good news is that kindness is contagious.
https://mailchi.mp/kawarthanow/march-3-2021
March 10 – Week 52
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Special thanks to artist Lee Higginson of Port Hope’s Fluke Craft for gifting us the use of the feature image for our story. Lee is immensely talented and generous and you should follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
