COVID- 19 Reminds You Of What Is Truly Important

COVID-19 came into our lives like a hurricane, changing everything from what we once viewed as normal and thrusting it in to the unknown. Suddenly, the status of employment for many became questionable, others were forced to find new ways to make their business successful. Children were suddenly removed from schools, and found themselves at home more times than not. Restaurants were closed, and even the poorest of cooks suddenly fired up their stoves to see what creation was next on the agenda. Patience was pushed to the limit, and a new means of entertainment had to be found. Yes, looking back it is hard to believe it has been more than a year to date since the spiral started, and yet the battle to escape this pandemic continues. Looking back on this rainy day I found myself conversating with a friend and reminiscing about a few things I missed so much. Here are just a few:

Spontaneity- Gone are the days, when an idea could pop in to your head to do something and you could just lunge forth and do it. Everything takes time now, and you must generate a thought process to determine if it is safe, and even possible.

Hugs-Gone are the days when you could meet up with loved ones or a friend and greet each other with a warm embrace. Now, the looks of discomfort are noted and you are often unsure of what actions to take. Have to sneeze? You better hold that one for sure. More than 6ft of distance becomes evident quickly, and this is one way to guarantee a hug will not be coming.

Gatherings- Feeling festive and want to have a get together? Halt who goes there? While you are at it, you best think about the number of people you want to include. Most of the time, not everyone can any more. Someone will often need to be excluded to be in compliance. I miss the times when we could decide on a spur of the moment event, and make it happen the same weekend without giving it a second thought.

Entertainment- There are many types of activities to entertain ones mind ranging from reading to writing, to playing video games. However, one activity that I have missed tremendously is going to the theatre to catch the latest movie. Rumor has it that this will be more open soon, but how long will that be? If it opens up more, how long will it last? So much feels chaotic. However, the thought of attending with a group and grabbing my favorite snacks of peanut M & M's, hot buttery popcorn and a beverage sets my heart a flutter. I didn't know just how much I enjoyed it, until it was gone.

Restaurants- While some restaurants have opened, many have not. It is hard to tell what others are going to do. Their doors remain closed. For those that are open, it may be at 50 percent capacity, if they are lucky. Sad for the locations that felt like a home away from home while their food fed our soul. With continual daily changes, it is hard to estimate when outings will return to the way they used to be, and attending a Happy Hour can be placed back on our agenda once again.

While many things are missed, it has been a year and most of us have found ways to make adjustments. A new normal has been created. We may never fully get some of the things back that we lost but in many ways COVID- 19 has caused us all to examine life through a new set of lenses. Ones that demonstrate a new means of learning to appreciate the things we have in life, no matter how small.