A group of friends from Roseau River are adapting to social distancing by finding less conventional ways of getting together and chatting.

When the Provincial government advised Manitobans to maintain a safe distance of at least two metres between each other at any given time in response to COVID-19, Tammy Derksen was disappointed she would no longer be able to spend time fellowshipping with her friends.

"In Roseau River, we have a high percentage of retired people but even those of us who are not retired, we're used to being around each other," she explains. "We are on board with social distancing, but we wanted to find a way we could practice social distancing and still be together."

It did not take long for the group to find a way to make it work. "There was a group of six of us, we gathered our lawn chairs, we made sure we were twelve feet apart, we dressed warm and it was great. We had to talk a little louder but just to sit and say 'how's it going? How's work? How have you been feeling?'... it was really nice."

Derksen says it was amazing for their spirits and their mental health. "It was absolutely a boost!" she exclaims. "It was like a sprinkle of gold dust in the day. When it was done, we couldn't hug but we were all smiling."

Getting into a new routine together has enabled Derksen and her friends to grow accustomed to the situation more quickly than they would have otherwise. At this point, she notes, the group is already building upon the concept of gathering at a distance. "Next week, if it's still allowable, we may set up a fire pit so our neighbors can come down and sit by the fireside and just be together. We're going to keep thinking up things to do."

Derksen recommends that if people have the opportunity to do something similar, they should take it. "It's so important to keep connecting with people," she states. "We can't change things that are going on provincially or nationally, but knowing you're in it with your people makes all the difference in the world."