Island Parent Magazine Oct-Nov 2021

ever and my two older kids grew up in
during regular visits shut down (cheers to
the Island Parent-reading waitress there)
weeks ago and I’m still sad over it. Like
all parents, I spend a lot of time wondering
how the past 18 months are going to
impact our kids. My youngest is barely
over 2; he doesn’t know a world where
we don’t wear a mask to go inside the
library. He loves strangers but rarely gets
to see their smiles. It’ll happen, I tell myself,
this isn’t forever.
But it also isn’t easy. Parents trying
to keep it together through all these additional
strains know what I’m talking
about. The clerks who probably see me
a bit too often at the liquor store get it;
they probably see a lot of people a bit
too often these days. Hey, we’re all doing
what we can to get by, as we send
our kids off to a pretty scary new school
year, sort of half-happy that they’re even
going back, everything just one big ball
of mixed feelings, reality this forward
momentum of getting-there shouldershrugging
combined with sympathetic
smiles and half-hearted sentiments of
encouragement.
“We’re getting there,” I mumble to
other parents walking past me on the
street, and they half-smile, not even
making eye contact, shoulders relaxing
almost imperceptibly upon hearing those
three words.
It’s draining, but we’re getting there.
One day, our kids will look back on all
this and laugh, in that awkward way that
we do when something is horrible and
unreal. To all the parents out there, keep
powering through, keep navigating the
confusing mixed messages, the clear-asmud
directives, the sense of ennui that is
so easy to fall into right now. Two weeks
to flatten the curve a year ago; it’s hard
to stay positive some days. But you know
what? Our kids need us to—full stop.
So grab your kids today, give them
a hug, and look right at them with an
intensity that blocks out the rest of this
bizarre time we’re living in.
After all, we’re getting there.
A WHALE
OF A TIME
Save when you purchase a
combo ticket to experience both the
Orcas: Our Shared Future feature exhibition
and the IMAX film Humpback Whales
Greg Pratt is the father
of three children and a local
journalist and editor. His
writing has appeared in,
among other places, Today’s
Parent, Decibel and Douglas.
He is @gregprattwriter
on Twitter.
IslandParent.ca
October/November 2021 27