What I Did During COVID-19

Joan Dawson, RTAM Past President

On July 13 my husband and I stood in our kitchen, looking out over Paint Lake, watching a wind shear come over the water towards us. The dark clouds, loaded with rain, swept towards at an amazing rate. As it came closer the trees started to sway dramatically and with a loud bang one of them toppled over, landing on our roof. We were startled and prepared to see major damage. When the weather cleared my husband, Brian, and I examined the damage. It wasn’t bad, needing only minor repairs. Brian and our neighbour got to work, taking the tree down and clearing up the mess in a very short time. To me, watching this happen made me think of how, in February and March, we watched COVID-19 spread from China to sweep around the world, changing life as we know it. I was nowhere near prepared for a pandemic. We hustled to purchase the supplies the experts decided that we needed to survive the duration of the crisis and to rearrange our plans for travel and any commitments that we had made for the near future. Now we know that we are in for the long haul and have to make even more accommodations to survive this unprecedented time.

Knowing that I wasn’t going anywhere and would have a lot of time on our hands, I made plans to complete as many unfinished projects as I could including several quilting projects, some stained glass repairs for friends, as well as an unfinished piece and definitely cleaning every closet in the house. Brian and I would cook together and I would spend lots of time gardening.

A few quilting projects were finished, we cooked together without too much stress and I did clean a few closets. Time has slowed down and so have I. My major accomplishment was working with a great nephew and his grandmother, my beloved twin sister, Janice, to teach him how to read. He is a reluctant reader and would have gone into grade three with very few reading skills. We are doing this over the phone with Janice and Brody sitting at a table with a laptop and whatever materials Janice and I have devised for them to work with. We have read stories, written sentences, done reading and writing assessments, played word games and held races to see who can print the fastest. I have listened to a reluctant and unhappy boy become an enthusiastic reader and writer. I am becoming a better writer by devising the stories that have helped him develop into a skilled reader. I have discovered what a determined and resourceful person my sister is. She knew what skills Brody needed and is ensuring that he acquires them. This has been an amazing experience which wouldn’t have happened this particular way without the social distancing and isolation rules created to deal with COVID-19.

I wish that we weren’t dealing with the terrible outcomes of a global pandemic but I am glad for the time spent with my great nephew and my sister. It has been a bright time in the middle of adversity. 