There can be no doubt that living under the restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic is one for the history books. Unlike past epidemics (like the Ebola virus), this one impacts on everyone across the country and around the world.
I am sure in many households, there have been discussions along the lines of, “If this means we have to miss (insert event or activity here) because of this virus, I’m going to be really ticked off!”
Some people might be tempted to think only they or their family are being inconvenienced, but the truth is, everybody is in the same boat, and anyone with major family events (like weddings, funerals, reunions, etc.) are having to miss or cancel or radically alter those plans.
Anyone hoping to have a vacation will likely be out of luck, and sports fans and athletes and teams hoping to have some normalcy to their sports schedules are also going to be disappointed and frustrated by it all.
There are other losses, of course, such as those who’ve had to close the door of their business, or who have been laid off or had their hours reduced. I’ve felt the loss of co-workers who are laid off, and I greatly miss my colleague here, every day. For those who are laid off, the loss is much greater and likely far more stressful than anything I’m feeling.
In that sense, not everyone is in the same position, but speaking generally, most everyone has felt a loss in their lives, or an impact of some sort because of the restrictions and rules.
Life is simply not the same for anyone, but we’ve all had to make adjustments and carry on.
What will life look like on the other side? We keep hearing, “We’ll get through this …” and “We’re all in this together.”
To an extent we are, yes, but for someone like myself, I have conception of what stress and anxiety is being experienced by those who are laid off, or the stress and pressure health care workers feel as they deal with patients with COVID-19.
I don’t have school-aged children at home to try and deal with and to learn things online, and I don’t have parents in a local seniors care home that I have to worry and stress about.
I have aging parents, but currently they’re in good health and are still living in their own home, without many issues to worry about.
I don’t have any children stressing over graduation and about what they’re going to do — and how they’re mourning the loss of a major milestone in their lives. There may be plans for a virtual celebration or something, but that just won’t be the same. At some point, we hope, this will end and we will try to go on with our lives. I hope there will truly be some lessons learned out of this that will make our lives better in the future.
