The rising cases of COVID-19 are shocking the airwaves every day.
“Holy cow how did that happen,” I think to myself. “I thought we were good. I thought we had this horrible pandemic under control.”
“Why is this happening to us again?
My husband and I, smug in our little double vaccinated world are among the rest of Albertans who are watching and listening in collective horror as the case numbers keep going up.
Alberta, our own little province that I honestly have to say, I love with all the patriotic passion I possess, unfortunately, is leading the way in COVID cases
It is, to say the least, most disturbing.
After serving many years in the trenches of the journalism world, I feel quite confident in saying, however, that every story has another side. In fact, I would venture so far as to say, every story has about 14 different sides.
And, even as the pandemic refuses to slip into the pages of history where it belongs, other news stories keep happening, good news stories too poignant and inspirational to be overshadowed and overlooked.
The story of the 19-year-old tennis star, Leyiah Ferandez is one such story.
My goodness, she is so young, so tiny and so determined and here she is representing Canada in the U.S. open.
Regardless of how this story ends, I think it is so incredibly cool that she is the daughter of an Ecuadorian father and a Filipina Canadian mother.
When Josh Ferandez was asked how it felt to have his daughter represent Canada, his tears pretty much said it all.
Even as the rumblings of distrust and unrest threaten to erupt like one of those fierce thunderstorms that roll across Alberta skies good news stories like this are out there.
It is true that COVID has tightened its tenacious grip and it is also true the looming federal election has caused politicians to not play nice with each other causing even more dissention in the ranks and even among Joe public.
But, in my humble opinion, Canada, and even our own fair province of Alberta, home of the wild rose and other amazing, wonderful things, not to mention people, is a pretty fine place to grow old in.
And, as always, there are stories out there that remind us of that.
You just have to look!
Treena Mielke is a Central Alberta writer. She lives in Sylvan Lake with her family.