The city of Prince George, BC’s Northern Capital, is sharing love with the world while staying home and practicing physical distancing. If you have yet to catch the “Hearts of PG” story on CBC, you might be wondering, what’s with all the hearts?
Well…it all started with an idea that reflects the sense of community connection and willingness to help others that makes Prince George such a special place to live. #HeartsofPG was created to maintain community, to share love and light in a dark time, and to keep social while maintaining physical distance. It’s stories like these that prove the hearts of Prince George citizens are larger than life and this “little big town” is truly a one of a kind place to live, laugh, and love.
Hell Yeah Prince George!
Hell Yeah Prince George! is a Facebook group like no other. It started in 2014 and has since risen to over 41, 550 members. That’s more than half the population of Prince George! This group is unique in that it’s one of the largest community-based groups I’ve seen on Facebook that promotes positivity. It’s a place where Prince George residents can say, “Hell Yeah!” and give a shout out to their favourite local business, tell stories of good experiences, recognize citizens doing good in the community, promote non-profits and local events, share beautiful photos, talk about local spots, share amazing sights and random acts of kindness, and just say thank you.
#HeartsofPG
A local mom and the woman behind Bailey’s Brides, Bailey Grose, posted her idea to start a city-wide heart scavenger hunt to Hell Yeah Prince George as a way to bring our community together while physically distancing. All people need to do to participate in #HeartsofPG is to create hearts out of whatever materials are available, put them in their windows, and follow along in the #HeartsofPG Facebook group!
This brilliant idea to create a heart scavenger hunt went viral, spreading exponentially around the globe and sparking the creation of the group #AWorldofHearts with more than half a million members and growing! If you’re craving connection, put a heart in your window and check out this group to see how the world is coming together with the common goal to spread love, not germs.
Perspective and positivity
It’s amazing how one small act of kindness can change the world. Or how changing a word in a phrase can transform meaning and perspective, just like that *snap*.
When the coronavirus started hitting closer to home, we started hearing phrases like: “social distancing” and “self-isolation.” These are strong words with negative connotations. And what the world needs now is love. By simply swapping out the social in social distancing to physical, suddenly your loved ones don’t seem so far away. In these unprecedented times, it’s good to be grateful for technology and the ability to be more connected than ever when we must remain physically distant.
Attitude of gratitude
During this time at home, it’s important to lead with an attitude of gratitude. It’s inevitable to experience feelings of fear, grief, and loss with so much change and upheaval in the world. Give yourself the grace to feel all the feels and stages of grief, but don’t let yourself wallow. Shift your perspective and make a list of things you’re grateful for. Think about if your cup is half empty or half full today. Are you stuck at home or truly #SafeatHome? If you start every day with an attitude of gratitude and reframe those thoughts, you will get to #HappyatHome, I promise.
You can be like Bailey…every person on the planet has the ability to change the world. Each time you wash your hands, choose to stay home and/or practice physical distancing, every phone call, FaceTime or Zoom meetup, when you use the time you would have been at work to engage with your kids, each act of kindness…it means something BIG!
“We’re all in this together”
Accepting the new normal may be challenging, but we’re all in this together. This wasn’t the plan for anyone in our community, province, country, or the world. But now is the time to unite. As Toy Story’s Duke Kaboom says, “Yes, We Canada!” From our homes to yours, cheers to changing the world, one word, one connection, one kindness, and one heart at a time.
Kate of Northern BC Moms
