There has been a lot of very serious news recently. Although staying informed is vital right now, isolation and news drain can make some people feel hopeless. Christine Ng and some other Oakvillians have found a fun way to reach out and share some positive vibes.
Christine Ng is a holistic nutritionist who has lived in Oakville since 1992. She has always believed in the value of exploring the outdoors, it makes her feel more peaceful and connected.
"I find when you go into the forest and you are back in nature, it actually grounds you," she says. "It calms you and it takes you away from everything else that you're dealing with."
Christine walks her dog every day, through the paths and forests of Oakville. She enjoyed seeing other people out and stopping to say hello, to chat.
When COVID-19 began however, she began to notice a change.
"People I would normally see and say hello to, I stopped seeing," she says. "As restrictions increased, so did the fear. People kept their distance, playgrounds were empty and walking at Bronte Park was temporarily on hold."
As she puts it though, she still had to walk her dog.
As Christine made her way through the same paths and parks, she began to notice messages left there by other people who had passed through: cheery, little painted rocks.
"When I saw them for the first time, I looked down and there's one rock and then there's another and you know you realize someone was purposefully leaving them out on each part of the path. I'd never heard of that done before,'' she says.
Being able to connect with other people going through a similar situation inspired Christine. She began painting her own little pieces of art and leaving them out.
Finding different ways to maintain the feeling of community is always important during times of crisis. Oakville is opening up slowly, officially in Stage Two of recovery as of today. While adjusting to the new normal, there will be a lot of new ways of staying connected.
"I find it's been fun to see when it's somebody's birthday or even mother's day, they're putting special signs out in front of their homes," Christine says. "A lot of the time, you have to use technology to try and communicate. It's just not the same when you can't just go up to someone and give them a hug."
"My mom lives at OSCR (Oakville Seniors Centre Residence). Visitors are currently not permitted; however, once they are, I plan to hide a few of my rocks on the property for the residents," she says. "This project has really raised my spirits and I hope it helps spread some happiness and maybe some laughter."
