“Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.” – Kay Redfield Jamison

I woke up this morning to the sound of rain hitting my tin roof. It brought back a picture of a child sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor banging a pot with a wooden spoon.

It goes without saying that this year was one of total shutdown, no sports, no beaches, airlines grounded. Most summers here it is not unusual to hear children playing outdoors, maybe some with chalk drawing pictures on the pavement. Driving around the neighborhood the cooling station is empty, missing was the kids running around in the water with their laughter ringing out with a mixture of the odd squeal mixed in.

It brought back memories of my daughter when she was old enough to sit on the floor with her toys scattered about. Every once in awhile I would join her in her playtime. Sometimes I would place her on my lap while I sat at the organ playing, her tiny hands placed on the back of mine.

This year has grabbed out attention to what we know call “Covid-19”. You cannot help not hearing the term with it’s full coverage on every newscast, magazine, and newspaper.

For this writer it is not what we are hearing, but rather, it is what is not being heard. Like I have already mentioned, the sounds of children, also missing this year is the socializing that I loved when going from one garage sale to the next. Just the fun of looking at what others are selling.

What is not being heard is the sound of bands in our city park playing at the band shell with people listening while sitting in the grass soaking up some pure Vitamin D.

What is not being heard or seen is the famous “Snowbirds” flying in air shows across Canada and the United States. Tragedy grounded them during a time when Canadians were reeling at the fact of a mass shooting in the Province of Nova Scotia. They were taking and flying across the land to bring some cheer to counter balance a horrific event.

So dear reader let me ask you, what isn’t being heard around you?