In the movie "The Wizard of Oz" who can forget the climatic scene when Dorothy clicks here ruby slippers and says, "There's No Place Like Home." Although I adore the movie, I never liked the moral of the story which paraphrased said, "Things outside home might be nice, but if you can't find it at home, it wasn't worth having in the first place." It just didn't suit me. I come from a Metis background. My ancestors were involved in the buffalo trade. They wandered up and down the plains of North America following the herds. They never stayed in one place too long. I have decided that I have done enough moving in my life and don't need to move for a long time. But I too have done my fair share of moving.
Home. We are being asked to stay home right now to protect others. We have in a matter of weeks watched in horror as a virus in a mid sized city in China has spread around the globe. The virus has shown that it does not care who it hits- from residents in nursing homes to Prince Albert of Monaco and Prince Charles of England. It respects no borders. It does not respect age. It spreads quickly and for some it can be life threatening.
So we are asked to stay home as much as possible. In order to protect the vulnerable, in order to ease the strain on the health system, we are to maintain a proper social distance. It is not easy. We are social beings- even those of us who are introverted. We need human contact. But for now we are being told that for an indefinite period that we need to stay home. May we all discover like Dorothy, that there is no place like home. And together, we will emerge from this a stronger and loving community. Blessings.
