We recently marked the one-year anniversary of the pandemic, and amidst the grim statistical reminders of our horrifying collective ordeal, the Joni Mitchell lyric of “you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone” comes to mind. For those of us lucky enough not to get sick who spent the year physically and socially distancing from others, the most tangible difficulty of the pandemic has been the necessary but challenging isolation from everyone else, and with it, feelings of disconnection and loneliness.

This past year, the simplest things — like gathering together, going out and having fun, meeting with others, shaking a stranger’s hand, or hugging someone we care for — were painfully suspended for most of us. That experience reinforced the profound need we all have to connect with others as part of a “community,” however we choose to define that word in our own lives. Many of us find a sense of belonging and community within our families but also with other important people and places like school, church, work, friends, sports teams, the gym, or the many other organizations we belong to, all of which have been constrained significantly since last March.

In addition, the idea of a community is often associated with where we happen to live. It’s interesting to consider, which “geographic community” do people feel most connected to? At the highest level, we’re all part of the human race on our one shared planet, but that is more just stating a fact than anything that truly captures our passions or emotional attachment (although that’s evolving as we grapple more with global issues like climate change). From the perspective of being United States citizens, I think we all have a deep affinity and loyalty for our country, and a strong sense of pride in being American. However, there is such a wide diversity of opinions and choices in America that it’s hard for anyone to say they love everything about it and that it’s the most important part of their individual identity to a community. There is something about being a Mainer that resonates deeply with most everyone in our state. Maine has natural beauty, independent people, a can-do attitude, and a relaxed outdoorsy vibe that residents generally embrace. But compared to other towns and cities I’ve lived in before, I’ve never seen anything like the profound passion that people in the Biddeford-Saco area have for our local area.

So many people in Biddeford and Saco are excited to be part of this community and have a strong positive attachment to it. Perhaps it’s because so many of us both live and work here, many for multiple generations who have experienced the ups and downs of our cities over time, that there is a sense of personal ownership and responsibility for what happens locally. People here care about their neighbors; they volunteer their time and efforts for important causes; and they truly want good things and more opportunities to keep coming here. From a business perspective — which is our primary lens at the Chamber of Commerce — our business community is more than happy to help each other out when needed, roots for each other to be successful, supports one another by “buying local,” and pulls together collectively when needed for the betterment of our region. Commercial growth translates to more jobs and hopefully a better standard of living for everyone over time. It’s exciting to see our continued progress, and it’s plainly visible that progress continues to be made locally just by driving through our cities, even during this pandemic. And while progress also brings new challenges, like rising housing costs for example, I think most of us are thrilled that so many buildings that were once rundown or empty are now being refurbished and utilized again in interesting ways.

When we soon emerge from our ongoing period of distancing, which optimistically we will do by this summer if current vaccine trends continue, there will be cause for celebration and rejoicing. The Chamber will be at the head of that conga line! But it’s worth taking a moment to think about what that will look like: do you want to return to exactly the way things were before COVID descended upon us? Or is there an opportunity to continue to progress and evolve locally as a community that could perhaps translate into a step-function improvement for our residents and businesses, and a greater sense of belonging for everyone? Both cities are currently engaged in developing long-range plans for the future, so if you have thoughts and input to help shape those efforts, your active participation is both wanted and desired. Community doesn’t happen passively, we can’t take it for granted. If you think of our area as a garden that we all tend, the warmer weather coupled with an end to the required distancing that we all hope for could result in growth and flourishing in new and perhaps unexpected ways for us over time. For the Biddeford and Saco community, what’s next? I can’t wait to find out.

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