Yes, there are reasons to be thankful

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/04/2020 (2008 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If gratitude is a remedy for fear, perhaps this is a good time to take a dose.

Fear has abounded since the pandemic came to town. We worry about catching the virus, and also about economic consequences as businesses close, workers are laid off and stock-market investments drop like a shot bird.

The concerns are real. No one should downplay the worry of people who have tested positive, those who can’t visit relatives in locked-down nursing homes, those who were living paycheque-to-paycheque before their jobs ended, or the essential workers who continue to toil in the vicinity of the virus.

But, amid the bleakness, it can boost our spirits to take a wide-angle view that includes reasons for gratitude.

It can’t be mentioned often enough that we’re grateful for the people who work in essential services, especially the wide network of health-care workers who are literally risking their lives to help others. It’s also important to remember other workers who can’t hide at home, including bus drivers, store staff, taxi drivers, emergency responders and delivery people. For showing up even when they’re scared, they warrant respect and admiration.

We can be thankful the virus came here in the spring. Had it arrived early in a Manitoba winter, the following weeks (months?) of isolation would have been tougher. Despite Thursday’s snowfall, we know nicer weather is near and we can soon enjoy our backyards, and distance-appropriate walks outdoors.

When was the last time the price at Manitoba gas stations was 59 cents a litre? It hasn’t been that low since 1999.

The forced lull in our social activities, combined with our intensified concern about our health, can be an opportunity for wholesome changes. Dr. Frank Rasler, an Atlanta emergency physician on the front line of COVID-19 treatment, says this: “Look for positive steps you can take to reverse the stress and panic that comes from feeling hopeless against this crisis. Being at home allows a rare opportunity to inspire healthier behaviours in exercise, a plant-based type of diet, weight reduction, smoking, substance abuse, stress management and spiritual support.”

The internet is proving more valuable than ever as people avoid face-to-face contact. Until the technology for using the World Wide Web became popular in Manitoba only 25 years ago, physically isolating during a pandemic would have been a more lonesome ordeal. The technology lets us video chat with friends and extended family, allows employees to work remotely and lets students study online.

With school classes suspended indefinitely, it’s possible the creative education alternatives currently underway will show some young people it’s possible, even stimulating, to pursue knowledge outside of the routine and structure of brick buildings. This forced experiment in independent study is a good way to encourage lifelong learning.

We’re grateful to Manitoba clergy of all religious beliefs who, after their places of worship were shuttered, have continued to lead their faith communities with online services. Franciscan priest Richard Rohr is among those who forsees this crisis leading to heightened commitment to spiritual matters: “We are clearly not in control, as this pandemic is now teaching the whole planet. That teaching is found in the mystical writings of all religions. Recognizing our lack of control is a universal starting point for a serious spiritual walk toward wisdom and truth.”

We’re fortunate to live in a country that is wealthy enough to offer relatively generous payouts to businesses and workers hit hard by the pandemic. With Ottawa paying 75 per cent of salaries of workers in many businesses, charities and non-profits, the economic hangover will be lessened considerably.

Thank goodness for humour that can offer smiles in such grim circumstances. Here are a few one-liners that are currently circulating:

“When they come out with a coronavirus vaccine, I don’t want to see you anti-vaxxers getting one. Don’t be hypocrites.” — Anonymous

“Honestly hadn’t planned on giving up quite this much for Lent.” — Andy Crouch, former executive editor of Christianity Today magazine

“Day 17 without NHL hockey. Found a woman sitting on my couch. Says she’s my wife. She seems nice.” — Anonymous

“In an unsettling reversal of my teenage years, I am now yelling at my parents for going out.” — Brigid Delaney, online

“Our grandparents fought in the Second World War. We are being asked to sit on the couch. We can do this.” — Anonymous

carl.degurse@freepress.mb.ca

Carl DeGurse is a member of the Free Press editorial board.