The title of this entry really should be “Maria’s Wanderings” because that is exactly what my brain and my feelings have been doing since Saturday, March 14, 2020. From the beginning of March until that date, I had been watching and reading everything I could about COVID - 19. I thought that I was prepared for its arrival in our province. I was as ready as I could be, until the first confirmed case was announced on March 14. It was if a dagger had gone through my stomach. Fear and an ominous sense of dread surrounded me. It was ironic because I had been looking forward to celebrating March 18, the four year anniversary of my cancer surgery. So, I began comparing and contrasting my thoughts and feelings, then and now. What was the same and what was different and more importantly, WHY? From four years ago, I remember the shock, terror and yet the realization that the tumour was cancerous and that there were going to be many changes in my future. I also remember the patience and support of the few people that I initially told. I remember the expertise and caring of my medical team and the support of so many parishioners when my “news” was announced to the parish. I remember praying, and for some reason unknown to me at the time, I prayed for healing, rather than a cure. Today, we are still in the early days of terror, shock and disbelief. We are facing dramatic social changes, forcing us to examine what we hold dear. (It certainly makes decluttering a lot easier.) Physical distancing is vitally necessary but it goes against a basic human need for physical contact and a basic human instinct to reach out to others, as we did in Snowmageddon. In January, we found new and creative ways to live and to help others in need. We did this with humour, grace, and a great deal of ingenuity. This is an even greater challenge now, but as citizens of this great province, and parishioners of St. Pius X Parish, we CAN do it. • We can learn as I did, what a difference a phone call, a card or an e-mail can make. • We can learn as I did, the infinite value of human friendships and relationships. • We can learn as I did, that being in control is really an illusion. • We can learn as I did, that complete independence is also an illusion. • We can learn as I did, the value of finding one thing each day to be thankful for, no matter how hard that day had been. Four years ago, the most important lesson I learned was the value and importance of prayer, my personal connection to God. I could actually feel the presence of so many people praying for me and with me. I experienced “the communion of saints”. My deepest desire for all of us is that through prayer, we will stay connected to God and to one another. Please join me in praying these verses from Psalm 16: You, Lord, are all I have and you give me all I need. My future is in your hands.