On Sunday evening, I was so touched by the Stronger Together / Tous Ensemble TV production. I’m not surprised that it had the largest audience of any non-sports TV program in Canadian history. Or that 1 in 3 Canadians were watching it. It felt good to watch the talented performers, to be part of the community at large, and to hold on to the truth that we’re #StrongerTogether.
One thing that has been a challenge for so many people during this immensely, trying time is the effect that being immersed in uncertainty and negative news an ongoing, continuous way has on them.
On the one hand, it’s important that we make space for our more challenging feelings, that we are able express them, process them and have safe people and places to do that.
It is also equally, if not more important, that while in the midst of uncertainty and the extreme difficulties of a pandemic, that we make space for what’s good and what feels right. This is what often gets lost or put aside so quickly, when overwhelmed by the bad events and situations.
This 90-minute TV show on Sunday was an invitation – to be in the good – to experience it fully.
It stopped me in my tracks when I was watching it. I was making dinner and thought I would just have it on in the background, within five minutes I was moved to tears. (The good kind of tears. ?) I realized this is good stuff. I decided to sit down and soak it up – listen to the artists, authors, COVID-19 survivors, frontline workers, this list goes on.
The 90 minutes was, for me, a real experience in taking in what is good. As I let the music and the stories in, my heart filled with love and pride. I felt moved by all the different people across the country doing their part in their own way. It made me feel like I was part of something good. Those feelings of love, connection and pride were so good to let in, to pay attention to and experience.
To quote one of the people in the show, Zachary Doyle, a young student in Quebec; he says we must keep up the hope, “Yes the coronavirus is contagious but love and togetherness is even more contagious.”
I really encourage everyone to find ways small and big to take in what feels good and right for you – every day, find one thing. The trick is you have to notice it, make space for it, try to see how long you can let yourself have that experience!
If you missed it you can watch it on Crave, CBC Gem and CTV, or clips of the performances on YouTube.
Laura Bradley
Laura is a Master Therapeutic Counsellor and a Registered Counselling Supervisor (MTC,RCS,#2022) with the Association of Cooperative Counselling Therapists of Canada (ACCT). She is also a Certified Group Facilitator.
