On March 12, 2020, the provincial government announced its first case of COVID-19. Reactions in Manitoba were similar to reactions around the world; we saw stores packed with panicked shoppers, fear on social media, and a perplexing shortage of toilet paper.

Many people are afraid of flying. And really, why shouldn’t they be? Climbing into a pressurized metal tube that soars thousands of meters into the air at hundreds of kilometres per hour powered by explosive fuel sounds like a recipe for disaster.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many of the responses we saw from the public were understandable

As I grow older, I realize more and more how much I rely on experts. Over the course of my life, I have, like we all do, gathered a team of required people in my life. From a doctor to an accountant to a mechanic, I have people to go to when I have shortfalls in my own knowledge.

The end of the COVID-19 pandemic is in sight. After more than a year since the first case hit Canada, it seems like a significant understatement to say that everyone is ready for a return to normal. Movies, malls, restaurants, and of course family and faith gatherings are all going to be back on the menu very soon.

A few years ago, I was sitting on a park bench in Niverville watching my two daughters play. The park was busy but not crowded, and the children were playing together with friends both old and new. Like most of the parents present, my children were mobile and self-motivated, and they no longer required their father to provide hands-on assistance to use the play structures. Being able to sit and relax with a good book while my children played was an exciting new stage, and one I was determined to enjoy.