Things aren't great, but at least we're not being bombed from above

Both my parents were children in England during The Second World War. That's where the similarity ends. 

My dad, now 90, seemed to enjoy his childhood wartime experiences. His father was some kind of special constable who patrolled pitch-black nighttime streets in Billingham, County Durham, during air raids. Occasionally, granddad would take dad with him. Dad still recalls seeing German bombers overhead - caught in searchlights used to track enemy aircraft. If those Luftwaffe pilots and crews were unlucky, they'd be shot out of the sky and, the next day, children would be in a hurry to find and explore the wreckage. Dad also remembers the time their chimney was hit by a bomb that didn't detonate. 

Dad's mother told me how dad kept telling the neighbouring Coleman family - my grandmother's air raid shelter companions - by regularly telling them "The German's are coming!" He seemed to be that kind of child who delighted in tormenting others!

From the infrequent comments I heard from my mother, it was an entirely different experience. One memory she recalled was sitting on her teacher's knee in an air raid shelter in Newcastle-up-Tyne while the teacher covered my mother's ears. She had moved to Newcastle with her mother to stay with friends after my grandfather re-joined the army. My mother's older sisters were evacuated. So there was dislocation to contend with, too.

Should we compare ourselves?

Generally, it's not a good thing to compare ourselves with others. But the sudden disruption in routine, difficulty in finding essentials in shops, and the quieter streets in Toronto had me thinking back on those family stories. My life is much better than it was for my late grandparents who suffered through that war for almost six years. Most of us have enough food and, despite the financial uncertainty many are facing, the federal and provincial governments in Canada respond quickly to a rapidly changing environment. 

And compared to kids' experiences during war time, children today won't have to endure the randomness of bombing raids. A virus is easier to explain to a young mind, and so parents can better support their children in these strange times.

Focusing on the things I can control

So I focus on things I can control - and there are many. More time to plan healthy meals, an hour or two for a better night's sleep, selecting what book to read next, a game's night with household companions, and outside time during the day to enjoy the sun and be amongst trees - a pleasure there's not always time for during my usual working hours at the office. 

If my seemingly cheery attitude is annoying to you, I should say that I don't always feel like this. I have moments of concern or even anxiety I'm aware of all the businesses that won't survive. I worry about the economy in the coming months and the impact a downturn will have on people I know - and don't know. I worry about the rapid spread of the virus in Britain - my dad and his wife live there.

What things worry you?

You're probably worried, too - perhaps about different things. Maybe you realize you can't pay your rent next month, or wonder how you'll afford next week's groceries. Maybe a loved one is ill. What are you worried about? Tell me in the comments below. I'm listening.

Despite my worries, I still think of my grandparents' lives during that stressful and sometimes harrowing time of war, and remind myself I don't have it half as bad as they. And for that, I'll continue to be grateful.