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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Chapel Hill chapter.

Positive. Nearly a year after we entered quarantine, I tested positive for COVID-19. Despite locking myself up in my room, my mom tested positive 3 days later. My mom and I were at home together for 21 days for the first time in our lives. 

I have a single mom which means, for my entire life, she has worked a full-time job to be able to support us. Therefore, our COVID quarantine was the first time we got to spend 21 consecutive days in our house together. 

At first, I was pretty nervous about how it would go. It was something that had never happened before and having two adults locked in a tiny house could pose many challenges. What I didn’t know then was that it was an incredible blessing. 

For the first couple of days, we both kept ourselves completely separated to avoid spreading. Once my mom tested positive, we felt comfortable being in the same room, meaning we would spend a lot of time together. 

Although we weren’t in the same room all day, being able to walk downstairs to grab something from the kitchen and see my mom on the couch cuddling with the dog made me so happy. I was able to stop for a quick chit-chat and have a quick laugh before resuming Zoom university. 

My mom and I have always been incredibly close and — as cliche as it sounds — she is my role model. She is the most independent woman I know and some of that independence has transferred on to me. 

Since being home from quarantine, I have not thought twice about the fact that I spend most of everyday home alone. As a matter of fact, I have always dismissed it because I thought having my own space was what I liked and needed. 

This experience completely changed that perspective for me. I loved feeling my mom’s presence in the house and being able to talk to her all day. I didn’t even miss going outside and seeing people because every second of being at home was so enjoyable. Having her company was something I never realized I missed until now. 

I felt my overall stress levels go down because, at any minor inconvenience with school or my personal life, I had my best friend a few steps away that I could talk to. The best part was seeing how relaxed and happy my mom also was. Seeing her being able to relax on the couch for an extended period of time for the first time in my life made me so happy. 

The night before my mom had to go to work and our quarantine officially ended, she came into my room to say good night. I looked at her with tears in my eyes and told her I was going to miss having her in the house the next day.

This event felt like such a life-changing experience for me because luckily, my mom and I were blessed to have extremely minor cases which gave us the time to enjoy each other’s company with minimal distractions. 

I am so happy that COVID gave me the experience of having my Mom at home all day every day for a period of time at least once in my life because, without COVID, I don’t think I would have ever experienced it. This experience also made me value all her sacrifices and my time with her so much more. 

I will be eternally grateful for the sacrifices she made working long hours every day to get me where I am at this very moment, writing an article at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in pursuit of my dream career. 

I have learned to value my time with my mom so much more. My mom’s presence in my life is a huge blessing and I plan on always making every second with her count for the rest of our lives.  

If you can, go give your moms an extra tight hug for me.   

Sabrina Ortiz

Chapel Hill '22

Sabrina was born and raise in New York and came to UNC to pursue her passion for journalism. In her free time, you can find her reading, rewatching Pride and Prejudice for the millionth time, or cuddling with her dog. She hopes to use this platform to connect with people through her stories.
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