By all measures I am a fully qualified, supported by date of birth, baby boomer. As I enter the twelfth day of self isolation during this coronavirus virus pandemic I seem to be given to nostalgia about my growing up years.

As far as I can recall, my mother was a typical, 1950s dedicated homemaker. Following complicated Vogue sewing patterns, she stitched clothes for our family, including the gold colored wool coat I wore the winter of my grade eight year and the pink satin and organza “prom” dress I donned for my grade ten school dance. Mom worked on that gown with steadfast determination and made the endless hours (that I did not appreciate) seem effortless. I recall admiring myself in the mirror of our family shared bathroom, hoping I resembled a model from Seventeen magazine. That being said, my mother often expressed herself in tried and true adages. If one of her five kids complained that our regular Sunday night roast beef dinner was a tough chew, she would quip “Tougher if you didn’t have it”. If I whined after one of my younger sisters borrowed my matching cardigan set and returned it stained Mom would dismiss my objection with “Don’t cry over spilled milk”.

One of Mom’s favourite sayings comes to mind as I deal with self isolation. Over the years, I have become very privileged and this quarantine has brought me back to stark reality. I jokingly tell my girlfriends that I have forgotten how to do daily housework. As I sort laundry, stack the dishwasher and scour old recipes Mom’s adaged voice has resonance. If she could see me now she would shake her head and loudly spell out:

S. P .O. I. L. E. D!!!

So, to use a proverb to describe what I am learning from self isolation:

HEALTH IS WEALTH!