April 1, 2020: Mourning Normal

As the sun shines in my office window, I think about how different life is right now amidst a global pandemic. It’s finally spring and yet I’ve spent more time inside than any other time in my life. Things have changed drastically in a short period of time with words like social distancing, self-isolation, quarantine, protective equipment and toilet paper rolling off the tip of our tongues. With all of this going on, many of us are mourning our normal lives.

As an adoptive mom of two children that are differently abled (and I use that term intentionally, as both my kids have amazing talents that I could never possess) this Covid-19 pandemic reminds me of other times in my life when I have mourned what I anticipated to be my normal. In 2008, our daughter, Cadence, made the journey from Haiti to Canada with us. It was one of the most joyful times in my life. As a mom, you dream about all the amazing things that you will experience as a caregiver of a precious little girl. However, within months of our journey home, we began to observe small indicators that our little girl was struggling to adjust. I’ll save the details for another post, but needless to say, it was the beginning of our journey where mourning normal would become the norm.

I truly hope that the people in your life are safe, healthy and well cared for. That desire is what drives AJ and I to do the work we do. We want to thank our Associates for their dedication to the people that they support and care for on a regular basis. You are our sectors HEROS! At a time when things are confusing, stressful and anxiety is high, we commend our essential service workers both in the social service sector and all sectors as we move forward through this unprecedented time. Stay well.      

~Ange