This past week I talked to one of the owners of the café at the Smithers airport who just lost his contract to run it. Throughout our entire conversation the optimism that flowed through his words was incredible. And extremely uplifting. This man and his wife were just forced to close down their restaurant in the wake of this pandemic and yet he found a way to look at the bright side of it.
Read more: Airport cancels Cafe contract
This restaurant was their sole source of income and he isn’t sure what they are going to do next, but he said it was a good time to reflect on his business and life. His family is relatively new to the community and he couldn’t stop talking about what a beautiful town Smithers is to live in. He was shocked by how many people reached out to him to see if they could help and was happily surprised by the kind words people wrote on the café’s Facebook page.
This is the dose of optimism we need right now in Smithers. As the loneliness of isolation is getting to most of us, the still unknowns of this virus scaring most people and the death toll around the world mounting, it can be hard to be hopeful and confident about the future. That is the exact definition of being optimistc. It isn’t always easy to look on the bright side and certainly not during a pandemic but I’d rather try to anticipate good times than bad ones.
According to dictionary.com optimistic means disposed to take a favourable view of events or conditions and to expect the most favourable outcome. After talking with the owners of the café this week, I was reminded to reflect on what’s happening in our world right now and be hopeful this pandemic will be over soon.
Maybe I’m wearing rose coloured glasses right now or I’m delusional, but I believe we will come out of this stronger as a community and hopefully as individuals.
Read last week’s The Sticky Files: Trying to find routine in a pandemic
I’ve had good days during this pandemic when I make healthy meals, my girls are playing nicely together and the sun is shining, but I have most definiteley had days when I felt lonely, guilty about not spending enough time with my daughters, feeling like I’m not giving enough to my work, the laundry has piled up and I just want to curl up into a ball and sleep until this is all over.
After talking with a couple of optimistic people this week, I am feeling better. Joy is contagious.
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” – Oscar Wilde
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