As a 23-year-old working adult and student, communicating with my family had often been quite hard, even though we’re home 90 per cent of the time. If I wasn’t cooped up in my room for virtual classes with the doors closed, I would be out working at my retail job until everyone else is either asleep or just too tired for interactions.
But all of that changed during the holiday break when we got our first positive COVID-19 test result in our home. We acted diligently to make sure the virus wouldn’t spread further and help my mother recover sooner. A few days later, however, almost my whole family, including myself, had caught COVID.
While we were isolating in our rooms, we made sure to take it upon ourselves to check up on and talk to each other every day. I’m not quite sure why, but through many FaceTime calls, we would end up sharing more in-depth conversations that opened up a stronger understanding for one another — and that was when I realized I had never really interacted with my parents and siblings for longer than an hour during the pandemic.
Looking back now, after having to pull our weight to take care of each other and eventually recover from COVID, I’ve understood just how much my family really means to me. From now on, I’ll always make sure I make more time to spend with them — and I think everyone should definitely do the same.
As a final word of advice, in light of Canada’s recent upsurge in new cases, I’d like to share with you my dad’s holistic concoction for a stronger immune system. This remedy is to be taken every morning on an empty stomach. While we were recovering from COVID, my dad was actually the only one in our family to recover first under three days, so you know his recipe is to be trusted!
- Prepare one clove of garlic, the regular use of which reportedly helps with decreasing the frequency of colds in adults
- Crush or blend garlic into a paste-like consistency
- Add half a cup of water and mix well
- Bottoms up!
As we continue to live our lives amidst this pandemic, don’t forget to stay safe. And if anyone decides to try out my dad’s immune booster, don’t forget to carry a pack of mints!