I know this pandemic is the broken record of the century. This virus has made affected me so much that I do not even like to talk about the effects that it actually had. And I hate to say it, but it is way easier to leave it in the past than focus on it ever again.
In a way, this feeling of being upset that I get from the mention of the pandemic had such a hold on me that I had to finally take time to figure out where this feeling came from. After what is going on for two years now, I feel like I finally have figured it out.
It had to do with how controlling it was. When COVID-19 started, I was a senior in high school. Yes, I was that class known around the world that never got a proper send-off. It was sad. But, if I am being honest, I was not upset that I never got a proper send-off. Actually, I did not mind those extra months at home before starting college. As I am sure you can tell, I was ready for high school to be over for me. It was bothersome that it went past high school.
This pandemic came followed me into my freshman year of college and then again into my sophomore year. You would think that I wanted it to stay around. It sounds selfish because I am so lucky to be okay and safe still after these years, but I really wish it was different. I wonder sometimes what life would be like if COVID-19 never happened. I feel like a lot of us do.
But, this pandemic taught me things. Not only how to help myself stay safe in future instances, but taught me things about myself.
Being left without any control over anything is a frightening feeling. I am so thankful that we had the science that we do to not feel this way anymore, because I remember the days it was terrifying. This fear was so frightening that it stripped us of what we thought we knew and depended on.
To be human means that you have some form of habit in you. No one is prepared for when the habit is taken out of your life. I say this now with confidence because I now understand this. Not knowing this before and having to go through it was something else.
Because of the pandemic, I like the little things in life. It really is the little things.
It might stem from the limitations at the beginning of the pandemic. I think of the times when getting take out was the highlight of my week. I would wear a mask and gloves to pick up the food and then come home and enjoy every second of it, because it was the only available taste of normalcy.
It is the little things. I have taken this appreciation into my life now, and I do not plan on missing out on this appreciation all of my life because of how it makes me feel.
Appreciating the little things in life makes me realize that though everything could be out of my control; I always have a way to feel like I am still present in my life.
That I am not being swept under a rug by the pandemic.
The pandemic is still a very pressing issue around the world. I hope by writing the lesson I learned that I never offended or came off as someone who has not sent my thoughts and prayers to those who have had much worse fates than I was so luckily granted in the midst of this virus. My thoughts and prayers still go out to the world. I hope that COVID-19 continues to hold less of a grip on our lives, and I hope, you too can appreciate the little things to help you get by.