■ Woolwich Healthy Communities wants to hear your COVID-19 stories

To the Editor, Telling our personal stories during this time of the COVID-19 epidemic is important for us in the Woolwich community. It is important because we are deeply involved in life-changing experiences that are reshaping our lives. Yes, “we are all in this together” and we will evolve through it all. Yet, in the “in-between time” we are coping with anxiety, hurts, and disappointments that impact all of our lives.

Our responses to COVID-19 will be different because each of us are different. These differences we have in personality and coping mechanisms are the sources of strengths we may never have imagined. There is resilience and hope within us that is held in balance with our fragility and vulnerabilities. During a crisis of the magnitude we are going through with COVID-19, our stories take shape as we try to make sense out of what is happening.

These emerging stories are happening right now within all of us, our families, our institutions, and our community. These unfolding stories, while a source of insight for ourselves to make sense out of what is going on, are also, when shared within our families and communities, a needed resource for one and all.

These resource-filled stories written and shared, fill in the blanks for others where their stories come up short against a wall: “why?” “what next?” or, “will this never end?” Our stories compliment and strengthen each other’s stories and, together, we manage our multitude of anxieties, hurts and disappointments more creatively.

We then, together and in community, gently, courageously and compassionately nurture hope and build coping skills for tomorrow.

Our resilience, inspired by setbacks, will come through and we will be a stronger community for it.

We can’t emphasize enough how important your story is in this time of COVID-19. We urge you to share your story. You may not think what you have to tell is important, when in reality it may just be the story your neighbour needs to hear.

“Many Voices = One Woolwich Community” is a Woolwich Healthy Communities initiative to strengthen our community. This initiative is organized by the Woolwich Community Events Steering Committee. For more info visit www.healthywoolwich.org.