This year, without a doubt, has been one of the hardest years of everyone’s lives. We’ve all suffered in one way or another. It has been a year of solitude, sorrow, and somber, and let’s be honest, no one is the same person they were a year ago.
Before COVID hit, I always “felt my age.” As a 19-year-old, I felt that I had all this time and life ahead of me. But since quarantine, I, and what seems like most college students, have felt like we’re in a race against time. We feel as though we just lost a year of our lives where we were supposed to be with our friends, making mistakes, figuring out who we are and who we want to be, and just enjoying our college experience. Instead, we all sat alone in our rooms, attending class through our screens and seeing friends over Facetime. Just waiting and hoping for the day where life could feel “normal” again.
And while it is hard to see “perspective” in such an unprecedented time, it is important to remember that this will not last forever, and eventually, we will get back to our lives. It will probably look and feel a lot different for a while, but slowly, it will happen.
We did lose a lot this year, and it’s okay to be upset and frustrated by that, but once we return to “normal,” it’ll be equally as important to remember all that life during COVID-19 taught us. It’s great to have goals for your post-covid life, but go easy on yourself. Rather than creating a bunch of extravagant ideas, make smaller, realistic ones. Maybe say yes to hanging out with friends more, rather than trying to make 10 new best friends. Or incorporate more exercise into your routine, rather than saying you must lose 15 lbs before summer. And most importantly, appreciate the small things in your days, the things we once took for granted, like smiling at a stranger or hugging a grandparent.
