Family visits

This is how we visit now: Outdoors and safely apart,  we had coffee with my brother-in-law Bert and my sister Betty three weeks after they arrived in Vancouver from Quebec. Betty is showing a photo of her one-year-old granddaughter Mia, whom they met for the first time when they landed. Mia immediately decided Bert was "the one," but has now accepted grandma too. Photo by John Denniston.

 Once upon a time, visits from far-off relatives meant a cooking/cleaning frenzy. You wanted to feed them something special, and you didn’t want them noticing the grime in the bathtub.

During COVID, it means calculating risks. Who have they seen? How have they travelled? Have they been here long enough to be decontaminated? Do we dare a visit indoors? Wear masks? Hug?  

It doesn’t seem very welcoming, but it makes life easier. Forget the fancy dishes – a lengthy indoor meal is an unthinkable luxury. And guests’ brief darts into your bathroom require only a surface shine.

My sister Betty and her husband Bert have been visiting from Quebec since Sept. 7, helping their son and daughter-in-law transition their young children into school and childcare. Due to colds and concern over their potential exposure, we didn’t see them until Oct. 1. We did air hugs, then sat in the sunshine in their son’s North Vancouver garden. Face to face, the lack of frills, fuss and frenzy didn’t matter. It was enough.