What a time we are living in right now. I thought it would be a good idea to document this to look back on. We are currently in a worldwide pandemic; COVID-19. On March 17, 2020 it was declared that we (Ontario) are under a state of emergency. Immediately my spa and all other non-essential businesses had to close. The only businesses able to still run are restaurants that can offer take-out, some stores; like the local hardware stores, offered online ordering with curbside pick up. And of course essential places like the grocery store and the liquor store remain open, thank goodness. We were all told we need to stay home, nobody that does not live in your house is allowed to be there. All parks closed, the beaches closed. When we are picking up some groceries we need to maintain a distance of six feet between others at all times. Stores that were open, installed plexi-glass shields to protect the employees from the customers. You need to strategically make your way around the grocery store because now aisles are one-way and single file (with six feet between all customers). Using your “Tap” on debit and credit cards is encouraged. People are wearing masks to avoid “speaking moistly” (the words of our Prime Minister) to others while they are out. People are debating whether or not to take scissors to their own hair, since they cannot visit the salon. And parents have become school teachers.
Some people feel as though we are prisoners and all of this is fake, “the government is just filling us with fear” (insert eye rolls here). I have always been one to conform to the rules. I’m a recipe follower, I’ve never been pulled over for speeding, and I can honestly say that my mom has never heard me curse. If I am being told that the safest thing for me and my family is to stay home, I am going to listen. Now, I am a homebody and super introvert, so you don’t have to tell me twice to stay home! I am loving this slower, quieter life. Normally our days are so busy… hubby gets up early to head to work, I get up early to get my workout in, fold my towels for my day at work, get the boys up and ready for school. After I drop them off at school I head to work for the day. Once the work day is done I get home and have enough time to throw my “Hockey Mom” gear on and we run out the door to head to one of the boys hockey games and usually run in to Foodland to grab a couple of deli sandwiches to throw down on the way. And then once we get home, the boys are getting ready for bed and I am doing my towels for work the next day. We didn’t have time to sit down and eat together, we barely had time to see how each other’s days were. My house project list is endless and it was so frustrating not having time to start any of them. This pandemic has forced us to slow down. There are no sports. Hubby is working from home for now. There is no school. And no work for me.
Our province has been pretty good at following the rules and “flattening the curve” so now they are slowly opening some more businesses. Any retail stores with a street entrance can be open to offer curbside pickup starting Monday. The “phase” that includes salons and spas will be a little bit before we can reopen. I have been checking out news articles from other provinces and states that are starting to reopen these businesses and what that will look like. I can honestly say this has been my biggest stress about this pandemic. Not my business being closed, but the thought of what has to go on to reopen. I already go above and beyond with my sanitizing at work, but the extra things that will need to happen like wearing masks, offering masks to my clients, and possibly having to buy a different pedicure chair… the added expenses and the fact that I will have to see fewer clients in a day has been the main stressor for me. It would seem I work part time if you were to look at the hours that I take clients, but being the owner and operator, there are so many more behind the scenes hours that go into running my spa. When I look at the list of clients that I have had to cancel, I feel overwhelmed thinking how I will possibly fit them in when I can safely return. I am sure everything will work out when the time comes but I have definitely been the type of person to look into the future and worry about what is to come. The other thing I am really missing is my family and friends. We are a huggy family and it kills me to not get to hug my mom. All we can do right now is take it day by day, and to realize that what we are doing right now is temporary and necessary.
I can’t end this post without giving a shout out to all of the essential workers that have been working on the front lines. I can’t imagine how it feels to have to go out and help people, whether it be in a grocery store, doctors, nurses, custodians at these public places… and have to come home to your family at the end of the day. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!
That was great Max. However our new lives work out you'll figure it out. Live ya!