■ Today’s situation is analogous to life during wartime

To the Editor,

Years ago, when my grandmother was alive, we used to chat about things she used to cope with as a young mother of five little ones during WW2. She shared about the anxieties and fears she struggled with, while purposely keeping a brave face in front of her kids (but crying

when alone).

My grandmother told of dealing with surprise inspections by German soldiers making sure the farm was complying with restrictions that were imposed on them, the sounds of bombs, visions of fires, battling starvation, child-beggars arriving on their door-step for a morsel of food, constant fears of once-trusted neighbours falsely accusing friends to the authorities (the list was endless) all while knowing her husband (who was in the Dutch military) was captured and sent off to

Germany. Somehow she and my grandfather survived that time in their lives and eventually immigrated to Canada from the Netherlands.

Last week I was reminded once again of the things my grandmother had to cope with in the midst of the war when my daughter, who is a nurse in north Alberta, phoned me to download the anxiety she was working through with her hospital’s first COVID-19 patient. Waking up to reality was like the first-time bomb that fell in her backyard. She was struggling with the fear of possible future effects on herself and her young family now that the virus was in her face.

Many people are experiencing similar emotions with the COVID-19 virus that is spreading globally, in a sense, almost a WW3. The unknowns, the restrictions, the personal losses, and the frustration or anger towards those not willing to cooperate with boundaries, all remind me of the wartime emotions my grandmother described to me.

How do we avoid dis

couragement, anger or panic? How to stay encouraged, keep a brave face for the sake of our children, or be a beacon of encouragement to a disheartened friend or family member? How to be respectful with unwelcomed boundaries imposed on us?

In war-torn areas of the world, these are similar issues people are dealing with all the time. Life becomes all about trying to survive in the most optimistic way possible. And trying to balance thinking about oneself (and family) while being mindful of

those around them. Like them, we are dealing with those same issues. And like them, the majority of us are bound to get burned one way or another, but, as a majority, we will get through this period of time in our lives.

Have you been one of many who have experienced the first ‘bomb’ in your life in relation to the coronavirus? Maybe you’ve had a number of bombs around you. You may be battling inner fears and anxieties during this time. Even struggling with

protecting your kids from becoming panicked while battling it yourself. Start sharing with each other. Talk with others via phone or internet. Get ideas. Get perspective during this time of ‘war’ in our country. Discover how others are working towards a healthy respect for the unpleasantness around us.

And, at the same time, work on becoming encouragement to others when everything appears to be falling apart around us. Share who or what your source(s) of encouragement(s) are. United we stand, divided we fall. Rosely Schwarz, Elmira