Oh, the humanity

My mind often turns back to May 26, 2020, when Hon. Peter Bevan-Baker opened the then-“emergency session” of the Legislative Assembly with a question to the Premier:

Leader of the Opposition: My first question is to the Premier and it’s about how you’re doing. It’s been tough to work under these circumstances for all of us, but particularly tough for those who have added burdens related to their jobs.

So, Premier, how are you feeling?

Speaker: The hon. Premier.

Premier King: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I’m feeling fine. I don’t feel any differently than any Prince Edward Islander does. I think we’ve all been through a difficult time, we’ve all had difficult jobs and mine is probably more public than most, but I’ve been doing fine.

Like all of you in here, I worry more about my family than I do about how I’m feeling, but very kind of you to ask. I’m doing well and I hope you are, too.

“So, Premier, how are you feeling?” was such a generous way to open the session; while things got considerably more debatey later that same day and, indeed, over the following 26, that exchange established a bedrock of caring and compassion on which everything else was built.