Four years ago this week, the world as we knew it shut down.
It was this week — specifically March 13, 2020 — that a national emergency was declared due to the rapidly spreading COVID pandemic. Schools started closing. Businesses closed. Community events were cancelled, one after another. For months, we were forced back into our homes, physically and emotionally distanced from the people and places that make our lives whole. It was a dark time.
But it was also a time when some of the best things about our Webster community shined brightly.
I was thinking about that as I was taking my morning walk a few days ago, remembering how, during shutdown, it would be common to see inspirational chalk drawings on the sidewalks and driveways. Chalk messages and artwork could be found all around town, little messages of encouragement popping up everywhere, an acknowledgement that we were all in this together. It was a great way for kids to stay busy when they couldn’t attend school, and a great way to help spread positivity during those dark days.
Rainbows started popping up as well, and not only on sidewalks. You’d see them hanging in front windows and on front doors. It was fun to watch for them and each one I discovered lifted my spirits just a little bit.
It was a time when we reconnected with our neighbors. Everyone said hi to each other when you went out for a walk and passed on the street. We were all overjoyed to see other faces, even if you did have to move out into the street to pass by.
We supported local businesses and restaurants, buying gift cards and ordering take-out to help our small business owners weather the pandemic. We dropped off care packages to neighbors in need, checking in on older neighbors and family members. We really started to look after one another.
So, something positive actually did come out of shutdown: we rediscovered our sense of community. And while the memory of those terrible days is fading into history — those days when we really needed to rely on one another — I hope that at least a little of that sense of community still remains.
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(posted 3/15/2024)
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And we survived! We had campfires in backyards distanced of course.! We sat in driveways celebrating grandchildren’s birthdays! We celebrated Mothers Day with Proiettis take away Chicken French outside on the deck far apart with my daughters family bringing their own dishes and beverages. Of course we did not go into each others homes. We had mimosas and muffins on the deck far apart with neighbors. Dark times but we made memories!!