When this is all over, I would like to believe our lives will be changed at least in a slightly better way. I hope we appreciate the little things more that we used to take for granted, such as spending time with friends, going to concerts, walking around a mall, anything really. There is so much that has been taken away from us in this time, and it is making me understand the freedom that we used to have without even thinking twice about it. I know that after this pandemic, I will definitely be more thankful for the little things. I’m a very social person, so it has been really difficult for me to adjust to this pandemic’s new rules in our everyday lives. As an overthinker, it hasn’t helped my anxiety much and I haven’t been able to sleep until at least 2 a.m. My thoughts keep me awake in the day and nighttime, and now I can’t even do anything to get rid of them. It’s unfortunate to have anxiety in a time like this, and I think many people are in the same boat as me. No one knows when this will end for good, and when it will all return back to our “normal.” I just hope that my definition of normal changes after this, and that I look at things a little differently. 

If anything, I want this pandemic to change my point of view. I want to take away the positive from this situation if possible, and be grateful in the future. I hope to appreciate the small things in life that bring me joy, and the ability to be able to do them, such as going to a candy store or playing fetch with a dog on the beach. Having a bonfire with friends, making last minute plans to go into the city and enjoy the weather, the list could go on. Staying inside can definitely make you feel like you’re going stir-crazy and taking away the bare minimum of being able to do so has been a very jarring experience. I want to make friends with everyone after this pandemic, and I hope the feeling is mutual because the world could use a lot more love at this time. 

Though the pandemic has been tough for me, it has been worse on others and I recognize that as well. The homeless are completely unprotected and are suffering to a different degree than what I can imagine. To be exposed to this virus 24/7 is terrifying, especially when those who are homeless also don’t have health insurance to protect them either. Knowing that I have at least a roof over my head to protect me in these trying times is a very comforting fact that not everyone can relate to. I have been thinking about this a lot recently and have never felt so appreciative of my situation before. I hope that I am not the only one who is thinking of these things and feeling a bit more compassionate than usual, and I bet I am not. I hope that once this pandemic is over, we will ALL be more appreciative, understanding, and overall just kinder to one another. This has not been an easy experience and the least we can do for one another is to take away the most positive things we can from it.