Village Voices | What are you feeling gratitude for in the midst of these difficult times?

||| BY MINOR LILE, ORCASONIAN REPORTER |||

With the monthly Village Voices series, we aim to take the pulse of the Orcas Island community. Every month we’ll be out and about, asking people to share their point of view on a particular topic. Sometimes the questions will be serious, sometimes more light-hearted. We invite you to join the conversation by sharing your response in the comments area.

As December gets underway, there is much going on in the public eye. Most acutely, the COVID epidemic is raging around us. If only we could get our act together with the solution so close at hand. There’s the still unsettled political landscape, with so much seeming to be at stake regardless of where you stand. There is continued awareness of the pressing need to address social, racial and economic inequalities that are built into the system.

But it’s not all adversity. Along with the trials and tribulations, there is another side as well. There’s the string of beautiful late-Fall days that we are experiencing and the courage of the many – here and elsewhere – who put themselves on the line and step forward for the sake of community.

Which leads to this month’s Village Voices question: What are you feeling gratitude for in the midst of these difficult times?

Most months, I do Village Voices by visiting different locales in Eastsound and speaking with people who randomly pass by. What with following the safety protocols and recommendations that public health officials have provided, a ‘locked down at home’ version seemed most appropriate at the current time. Today’s answers were received in reply to an email that was sent out earlier this morning. Thanks for such a great response!

December 6, 2020
(answers have been lightly edited for clarity and are provided in alphabetical order)

Anne: NATURE! At the moment, that especially includes the swans at Cascade Lake!

Bob: Technology. It allows for safe connections with friends, family and community that wouldn’t have been possible a decade or two ago.

Cindy: I am grateful for loved ones who are willing to ZOOM or mask up and endure outdoor temperatures and physical distance so we can be together. I am grateful to a community full of people like the ones at the Food Bank and OCRC and PTSA who figure out how to keep connecting and taking care of each other in the face of some pretty trying circumstances. I am grateful for the bright and beautiful weather that has made the short days of December fantastic for walking with friends. I am grateful to and deeply respectful of my parents who have accepted they must still be alone for a long time so we can all be together again sometime in the new year.

Elaine: At this very moment, I am grateful for the warm, golden sunlight streaming through the window.

Hilary: I am deeply grateful for this community and the compassion and creativity we have shown in the face of this crisis.

John: My feelings of gratitude are centered around being loved and in love, good health, able to spend time in nature, and having the financial resources to weather the financial impact of these difficult economic times.

Judy: Community. I am grateful to live in a community where people are available to help each other with needs, such as the food bank, rental and mortgage assistance, coats; to be responsible for themselves and others by wearing masks, with an understanding of how important that is to defeat coronavirus; and the emotional support and care, such as the Senior Center’s check in program. Finally, being surrounded by love when things get tough.

Kathi: I’ve been grateful that I have been able to attend events and classes from England, Cape Breton Island, and all over the U.S. thanks to current technology!

Lin: I have never been so grateful to live on Orcas Island, and that’s saying a lot. And I’m grateful for every single islander with whom I share this island. My gratitude about these things is deep and heartfelt, the essence of my being right now.

Lisa: Video access to seeing people! One example: seeing a granddaughter dressed up in a rainbow colored costume and her mom dressed in a unicorn onesie and both of them dancing around their living room.

Leslie: Feeling gratitude for daily island cycling that brings…exertion, splendor, introspection, jubilation, renewal.

Margaret: Checking in by ZOOM, phone or whatever with friends “from away” whom I’d been taking for granted when we didn’t have to think twice about when we would get to see each other again.

Margot: I’m grateful for the chance to be in a spot on this earth where I can walk out of my house and see scenes like this. Being “in Nature” is both rejuvenating and exciting, and affirms our connection with all that is….

Megan & Barbie : We’re so grateful for the beauty and wonder of nature. The daily, constant presence of the ocean and the forest has offered a solace that has felt like a gift during this past year.

Susan: My electric blanket.

Cooper: I’m grateful for the river otters in our yard that give me an excuse to bark, chase and defend!! (This contributor signed as Cooper. Judging by the evidence, I believe Cooper to be a canine, so please accept his reply for what it is worth).