Well, it’s not the year any of us hoped for.
Kudos to you if you were one of those people who used the extra downtime and were productive. Whether you welcomed a new family member, lost weight, started a new business venture, caught up on your to-do lists, those are wonderful things to celebrate and you should be proud!
But if you’re like me and your biggest accomplishment was surviving 2020, then that in itself is a huge feat and you should be commended for your tenacity and strength.
For me, working from home with my husband, two young boys and two cats was both a nightmare and a blessing all at the same time.
My husband is vulnerable so we have been extra cautious this year, and even when restrictions were lifted a little, we still had to keep our distance and limit our activities.
As you can imagine, being a reporter requires a lot of interaction with people, covering a wide range of events, and interviewing residents and community members.
When we first locked down in the spring, I tried to do as much work from home as possible, conducting all my interviews over the phone or on Zoom. Thankfully, I had the help of my wonderful staff Jackie Kozak, Miriam King and Paul Novosad to run out to cover events if I didn’t feel comfortable going to an event where there would be a lot of people. As the pandemic progressed, I started to get more comfortable with being in public.
And now here we are, three months deep into the second wave and I feel like we are back at square one.
Like most of you, I am tired, frustrated, and just plain over this pandemic life. Thankfully there is a light at the end of this tunnel, and we will all get through this together.
On behalf of BradfordToday and Village Media, I thank you all for your continued support of local journalism. Reading our articles, sharing our posts, and sending us your feedback is what has kept us going not only during the pandemic but always.
I have witnessed so many amazing acts of kindness from members of the community this year. From the PPE drives in the spring to the Bradford Christmas fundraiser for the Helping Hand Food Bank this fall, from to the search for Bradford teen Siem Zerezghi, to the turkey giveaway at No Frills. I am in awe of the wonderful people we have in this town, and I am privileged and honoured to be able to share your stories of selflessness and generosity.
I look forward to 2021 and the future when we can all gather again at local events like Carrotfest, The Farmers’ Market, the Bradford Lions Car Draw and the Santa Claus Parade.
Until then, please stay safe, look out for one another and see you soon!
Natasha Philpott, Editor and Reporter for BradfordToday
