There is an old Yiddish saying that roughly translates to: “People make plans and God laughs.”

Whether or not you believe in the Almighty, the last couple of months have been a rollercoaster of change leading most of us to make adjustments in our lives that are unprecedented. Whether we are working from home, having the kids home from school (while the school year is still on), limiting when we leave our homes, where we go, and with whom we physically associate, current restrictions are testing our resilience, patience, and, in some cases, our relationships.

The speed at which everything is changing is also stressful, requiring quick adaptation. When our previous issue of Boyle McCauley News went to the printer, we were just hearing about the first cases of COVID-19 in Edmonton. Within days of the paper hitting the streets, all events were cancelled and we were being asked to stay at home as much as possible. From there, we have seen schools and businesses close, the number of people that can attend gatherings drop dramatically, and everyone being asked to practise social distancing and not to leave home unless absolutely necessary.

As I write these words in late March (at my home office, in between washing my hands), I have no doubt that by the time you are holding this issue in your hands (or reading it online) we will be experiencing even more changes to our lives. This community newspaper can hopefully make people feel less isolated and bring us together – even though we have to be apart.