SAD YEAR ENDED ON BRIGHT NOTE
The past year was filled with too much sadness and gloom all over the world. As the Christmas season approached, we all knew that our holiday traditions would have to change to keep everyone safe. Dr. Robert Strang mandated that our holiday gatherings would be limited to 10 and 10 it would be.
Day after day, the news media was filled with tragic stories of the pandemic. We needed a sense of brightness in our lives.
By the middle of December, I started to notice that there was a sense of hope in our communities. The spirit of Christmas was alive and well in Cape Breton.
It seems that everyone wanted to brighten up their homes and surroundings. Twinkling lights and multicoloured lights trimmed the outlines of houses and warm, glowing white lights were wrapped around trees and shrubs. Spotlights highlighted displays of carollers, snowmen and nativity scenes. All of a sudden, there was a shortage of lights in the stores. Most everyone was in the spirit of the holiday season.
On a personal note, my travels throughout the municipality were limited because a dear friend was sick at the Glace Bay Hospital. Each night, my spirits were lifted by the brightly lit homes as I drove through the village of Port Morien. All the light standards were decorated with fir boughs, red bows and festive decorations — all done by the members of the Port Morien Development Association.
On Brookside Street in Glace Bay, there was a property with a “Nova Scotia Strong” theme that was illuminated with an enormous outline of our beloved province.
This past year has been filled with tragedy upon tragedy throughout every corner of our province. This display was handcrafted and showed so much creativity and respect for the people who have lost so much. Kudos to whoever lives in that house. As we say in Cape Breton: “You done good!”
On South St., the houses were impressive and made my drive back and forth to the hospital a lot easier.
Many people remarked that these displays were to be found all over the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.
For all the residents who went that “extra mile” to decorate their properties, I just want you to know that it was greatly appreciated by the rest of us. We sure needed this boost to our morale as 2020 wound down.
“All is bright!”
Yvonne Kennedy Homeville