Wow! How a few weeks can change the world so quickly! I am amazed at the pace of what’s been happening with the COVID19 pandemic and the world’s response to it.
We’re learning so many new terms, like ‘flattening the curve’ (the infection curve) and ‘self-isolating.’
I’m actually self-isolating myself right now. I returned from Florida March 15, and even though I was coming from an area with no known infections at the time, because of the international flight and my trip through the airport, it was decided it would be best for me to hunker down and self-isolate just to be safe.
There would have been nothing worse than learning that I may have infected anyone at Sure Flow Equipment or any friends.
At a time like this we become acutely aware of the importance of ‘friends.’ And how with we sometimes take the importance of personal interaction for granted. It was something I always remember my Dad saying, “You can never have enough friends.” It was great wisdom.
As I’ve gone through the photos albums I am reminded of my mother’s great wisdom and the value she placed in her friendships.
My mom had a good friend from England, June Geoffrey, that she remained friends with for most of her life. I will admit my memory may be a bit hazy on the exact spelling of June’s name and other details. Here’s mom with June and my sister in England when Hazel was 1 year and 10 months old.
The photo albums have also reminded me of how sometimes it takes someone visiting from another country to get you out and enjoy the wonders in your neighborhood. This would seem particularly important with so much world travel being limited or curtailed.
When we emigrated to Canada we first lived in St. Catharines Ontario, just a short drive from Niagara Falls. I don’t remember visiting the falls that often as a kid even though there were close.
As I’ve gone through the albums though I see that moms friend June visited Canada and I’m guessing sometime in the 1980s, or perhaps it was the 1990s. I can only base this on the fashion and how the photos look in terms of colour.
Sometimes when you live in a place, you take some of the natural wonders around you for granted.
Here in Halton where I live we are blessed to live beside “The Royal Botanical Gardens”, but I must say I never visit. People come from all over the continent to visit these extraordinary gardens, but when you live so close, sometimes you just forget they’re there.
Sure enough the visit inspired my Mom and Dad to take June to Niagara Falls. It really is an amazing place. The volume of water flowing over those falls, and the sheer power of the water is awe-inspiring.
Mom and Dad look like they’re enjoying the visit, even though they could do it regularly.
It’s always fun to play tourist once in a while, even if it’s in your own backyard. Looks like until the travel industry returns to some sense of normalcy, it’s going to be a great time for everyone to enjoy local attractions.
I am also impressed with what good friends my mother had that she was able to maintain a friendship, across an ocean, long before you could face-time/SKYPE face-to-face over a computer, and how much of the time long-distance phone rates were very expensive.
I am taken back to a time when mom and her friend probably exchanged updates with hand written letters, mailed at a post-office, which took weeks to reach their destination. No instant gratification, but a lasting friendship. Progress isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be!
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