When we can hug again

The Cov­id num­bers in BC are still way too high. Frankly any num­ber of cases is too high, as far as I’m con­cerned, but cer­tainly 500–600 new cases each day is not cool. But! Dr. Bon­nie determ­ined that those cases are not stem­ming from out­door activ­it­ies, so she has relaxed the restric­tions on out­door gath­er­ings. We can have a bubble of up to ten people and we can gath­er out­side. We have determ­ined that we can have one oth­er couple over, and if they sit by the bbq, and we sit by the door, that is two metres. So this means we can have the kids over! It has been months since we were able to have a prop­er vis­it with them, or oth­er friends, so it feels like a rare treat. I still can­’t hug them, but at least we can vis­it without hav­ing a com­puter screen between us.

Vac­cines are mak­ing the rounds, but it will be a while before we’re vac­cin­ated because we’re in a low risk group. I think we will all of us need to con­tin­ue to be care­ful even once every­one has been vac­cin­ated. With all the things I have heard about long term effects of this vir­us, which are var­ied and ghastly, I am not at all inter­ested in tak­ing the risk. Buddy of mine told me the oth­er day that his broth­er had Cov­id, which dam­aged his nervous sys­tem, and now there are days when he can­’t walk or do oth­er activ­it­ies, because of numb­ness in his body. Y’know? Why would I want to risk it? So I will take what I can get, and be happy to be able to see my kids in per­son in the safe outdoors.

I miss my out of town friends, I miss going to Mis­con, and Cre­at­ive Ink, and going on writ­ing retreats. Those things WILL hap­pen again, just like someday I will be able to see a play in a theatre again, and make music with my bands. For now I will con­tin­ue to be patient.