Creative Writing Contest: An Honourable Mention to ‘Silver Linings’

“Sometimes a story is written that is so inspiring it has to be recognized,” says Luz-Maria Alvarez-Wilson, who began a writing contest that was a fundraiser for the local Saugeen Memorial hospital.  “This, to me, is one of those stories.  It is about starting over and second chances.”

     Writer Jan Mitchell (L) accepted her gift from Luz-Maria Alvarez-Wilson

“Silver Linings”  
by Jan Mitchell

In the late fall of 2019, my husband and I closed on a home in Southampton. There was snow on the ground the day we moved in. It was not the first property I had owned in Saugeen Shores. A few years earlier, I had deeply regretted selling a home I had for some time while I was still on my own. I retired a few years ago and I was longing to return. Southampton had always been a life-long special place for me and I was looking so forward to all the fun things we’d do together as a couple in this area. I couldn’t wait to show my husband what a great town it as and I was also excited at the thought of reconnecting with so many of the friends that I’d made during those years. Ecstatic to finally find our perfect home after searching for the better part of two years, we anticipated 2020 to be much different. We had just started to get settled in when Covid hit like a big thud, along with all of its uncertainty and restrictions.

To be completely honest, looking back on the year, it wasn’t so terrible. The year has sped by and I was surprised to discover on reflection, that I have learned a lot about myself along the way. With my husband still working during the weekdays in the city, I found myself in our new house alone with our dog and two cats for long periods of time. Chewing well into my sixth decade, there’s really not too much that surprises me about myself anymore but this has been a year where I’ve definitely discovered some things. It dawned on me that I’d never really been on my own before or had a day where I didn’t have to answer to somebody else. With no demands on my time, the days ahead of me loomed large as we were going into the early days of Covid lock down. In retrospect, and with all its limitations, 2020 was the year I truly learned to amuse myself and enjoy my own company.

The house that we purchased belonged to a local artist and there was a large studio in the lower level where she painted. Several pieces of furniture had been left behind – it all looked dated but had great bones. Every time I looked at them, they seemed to be calling me to bring them back to a new life. With zero knowledge of furniture restoration, a little vision and nothing to lose, I headed off to to procure supplies – I was so green that someone from the store where I bought the paint had to make a complete list for everything I’d need at the hardware store, right down to the grit of sandpaper and the width of the paintbrush.

Having a space where I could work freely without fear of making a mess was truly liberating. My confidence grew after I completed my first piece and I never looked back. I became addicted to the process and over a three month period, I painted anything that wasn’t nailed down. I often had multiple jobs on the go at the same time so that I always had a reason to go into the studio. The mornings when I woke up to a day knowing I’d be doing the artistic finishing were pure joy! What was truly satisfying was the creative outlet it provided me during that first difficult stretch of COVID isolation. Getting messy and working on transforming old furniture felt like magic to me, like a creative itch that had needed scratching for a really long time but I just didn’t know it. I found myself putting in long hours and loving every minute of the solitude. I discovered contentment in an activity that allowed my mind to wander while keeping me in the moment. Life was quiet and sane by comparison to the break neck speed that I’d gotten used to while living my “regular” life. Looking back, I realize that COVID provided a forced reset and that when I let myself lean into it, I felt truly happy. I think it’s easy for people to lose themselves in the day-to-day shuffle of busy life. I was feeling a shifting of priorities taking place and I felt like a real surge of personal growth was underway. I stopped caring about many of the things that I used to and I came to greatly value true connection. I also came to truly appreciate simpler things, small acts of kindness, and the strong sense of community that I was beginning to experience. One day it dawned on me that I was actually recreating a different life, one that was pared down and felt more meaningful. I don’t need as much to be happy these days. The forced reclusion had brought out a different side of me and I came to understand what living in the “now” really meant.

I remember reading somewhere many years ago, that the problem with a lot of the world is that people don’t know how to be alone with themselves in a room – I get that now.

I know that we will get through this ordeal one day. The vaccinations recently announced look promising and will provide a safe path to return back to life more as we knew it. I’m lucky in that I have not been affected or know of others who have. I’ve been careful to follow the rules and like so many others, I’m looking forward to being able to once again do social things with people I care about. This area has a lot to offer with many great events and these are the fun things that make life juicy. The difference now though is there’s an added layer of discernment there – a realization that we often do things just to be busy. I look back on those pre-COVID days and I’m reminded that you can be so “busy” building a life that you forget to enjoy it. The world doesn’t stop just because we sit something out. COVID has been a real game changer for all of us and for some, truly devastating. Coming through this pandemic with a higher awareness level is a win I’ll take.

Everybody stay safe and see you on the other side 🙂