This past week has been introspective and forward looking for me. Much of that has to do with purging a three bedroom home that I have lived in for 7 years. We tend to grow into whatever amount of space we are allotted. Moving forward I would prefer not to do that.

For me, the holidays have always been defined by music, recipes and sharing stories with friends and family of past traditions and holiday experiences. The old vinyl records come out, the wine is poured and the candles and tree lights are lit.

Time and time again, I hear people longing for simpler times. The strong resistance to change and a wish to go back to the way things were. A world where we didn’t check our phones as the bookends to the day. (and everything in between!) A world where we went about our business face to face in real time. My Dad used to wish for a little plot of land off the grid in Barry’s Bay, Ontario, not far from where he grew up. A place where he could have a pint in the pub with some American draft dodgers, listen to incredible fiddlers and let the rest of the world fall away.

I’m learning more and more that our senior community are the keepers of the stories. You don’t get to eighty plus years without creating a rich tapestry of experiences. Maybe it’s travel and adventure, accomplishments and failures, children and grandchildren or deep love and painful loss, whatever it is that weaves the tapestry must now be shared or taken to their graves.

Earlier this year I found myself locked down in South Africa for what was both a challenging and adventure filled travel experience. During the period of lockdown, a concerned friend took it upon herself to curate and send along a song a day that our little trio enjoyed while sipping wine and preparing dinner each evening.

Sometimes all it takes to complete what looks like a daunting task, is a partner in crime, a buddy to keep the pace going, or a person to whom you feel accountable. This has been reflected so strongly in our community since March. I love seeing the partnerships that have developed out of the need to lean on each other. The support, creativity, resources and skills that blossom out of these partnerships makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts.

A wise friend recently brought to my attention the importance of marking an occasion. Don’t get me wrong, I love an excuse to get together with friends and toast any random Tuesday, but I mean really gather, with the intention of recognizing a milestone, hard work or the beginning of a new chapter.

For many of us, 2020 has given us a new perspective on the value of time. We have recreated our backyards to resemble a campground for our kids who were longing for their cancelled summer vacation. We have driven to visit our aging parents in nursing homes only to “touch” hands through a glass window. We have rediscovered the joy of baking, gardening and reading.

And so it begins…. 2020, the year of reinvention. I have spent the last two decades of my life working in arts and culture and small not-for-profits in Stratford, Ontario. This year, this sector of our lives was devastated by the world pandemic. I have specialized in gathering large groups of people to enjoy art, music, food and wine for most of my life and now what? We can’t gather!! Time for a new way of applying my skill set.