It's hard to believe it's been four years since the coronavirus changed life as we knew it. Similar to living through D-Day or 9/11, everyone who lived through the pandemic can recall that period with a keen memory. It doesn't seem that long ago when we were afraid to leave our homes or touch our mail, when empty grocery shelves and six-foot markers on the floor were a familiar scene. Yet, for those of us lucky enough to live through the height of the pandemic, we can share stories of that unforgettable time in our lives. Here are a few memories from 2020:

"Little did we know that on March 9^th we were enjoying our last gentle yoga class in person." – NNV Member Merilee Janssen. On March 13^th, this dedicated group of yogis did a trial run on Zoom and have been meeting online every Monday since.

"Thank you so much! I do appreciate continuing with this jolly yoga class, all this so well arranged by the Village." – NNV Member E. G.

"I went grocery shopping for a member very early on in the pandemic and saw a beloved NNV volunteer at the store. Typically, we would have stopped to chat. Fearful of getting sick, we briefly said hello and hurried through the store." – Stephanie Chong

"The element in my oven broke in early April 2020. We were afraid to have anyone come into the house, so with a lot of help from Youtube, I managed to order a new part and replace it myself!" – Leslie Pace

"At the end of Feb, 2020, I purchased a ukulele and a book of ukulele chords. A little over two weeks later, we went into total pandemic lock down. Aside from cleaning out my closets, I spent most of my time teaching myself how to play the uke. Fast forward a few years, I am still playing the ukulele and have written about ten songs." –  Community member V. V.

"I want to tell you how very impressed I've been with how quickly and wonderfully well you, the Officers and Directors have moved NNV AND your members to a distance service program, without seeming to miss a beat! I'm sure that "behind the scenes" there's been an immense effort, but together you've made it seem easy and logical, with help available all along the way. Kudos to everyone." – NNV Member J.B. April 2020

Send your memories or photos of the early days of the pandemic to info@nnvdc.org. You may see them in a future Weekly Update.