The following is a guest column from Dianne Kelderman, president and CEO of the Nova Scotia Co-operative Council.

COVID-19 has crossed all borders and boundaries. No brilliant minds, science, money, power, control, or influence could have stopped it.  It is not differentiating between young, old, rich, poor, healthy, wealthy, religion, race, language, communities or countries.

But here we are, all in this together. World, wide! Imagine that! WORLD WIDE! 

I never expected to see this in my life time. Yet, in a strange kind of way, it gives me hope and confidence.  

I am seeing (for the most part) the best in people. They are coming together to do their part and help their neighbors. Employers are putting employees and customers first even when it is crippling their business. Some businesses will not survive this.

We will never to be the same as result of this. New ways of thinking, working and interacting are being embedded at a faster rate than one could have imagined. 

We are seeing our federal and provincial governments operating at their best, acting quickly and in a nonpartisan fashion.

And it appears our slower pace is enabling our environment to heal itself, which is a good thing.

Personally, I have:

• Made it a requirement that all staff work from home (and ensured they had the technical capacity to do so)
• I check in with them every morning with a virtual “good morning” and throughout the day
• I am getting on the treadmill more and going for longer walks with Bosun, my Newfoundland dog
• I am taking more time to call and check on friends and family 
• I am trying new recipes (and decorating too many cakes)
• I refuse to look at my investments (they will come back as long as I am patient and don’t panic)
• I practice gratitude

I choose to see this as a huge roller coaster ride, one that will eventually stop safely.

Stay well!

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