Don’t Take the Little Things in Life for Granted
Back in February when the Coronavirus hit the US media, my parents became fearful and constantly warned me that it would come to the US. As I was at school distracted with schoolwork and friends, I didn’t think much of this virus. I knew it would eventually spread to the US, but never did I expect it to get as bad as it is now. Living back home in one of the most densely populated areas in the country, I should have known that the coronavirus would hit here hard. I live in Long Island, NY, outside of New York City. I remember coming home from spring break and my mom was already preparing for a pandemic. She wouldn’t let me go to large public spaces and was already warning me to wear a mask and gloves. I thought she was overreacting, but she was right. Nobody else seemed to be worried yet and carried on with their daily lives and that scared my family.
A few weeks later and we are now living through a pandemic. With 25,000 cases in our state and about 5,000 on Long Island, my family is instilled with fear. My mother who is over the age of 60 and at high risk is worried for her life and refuses to leave the house unless we go outdoors to the beach or parks. For the most part I am not allowed to see my friends or leave the house unless it is for an emergency or to pick up grocery necessities. However, my parents did let a few of my friends come over one day and enjoy the nice weather, as long as we sat on my front lawn 6 feet apart from each other. We enjoyed ourselves and made the best of it. Anything was better than sitting in our living rooms playing on our phones all day. It was crazy how much a little social interaction made a difference in our day; something as small as talking to my friends in person made my life feel normal again.
My parents have made me the designated person to go to the grocery store since I am the youngest and in the best health. Going to the store is quite scary, most of the shelves are empty and shoppers are fearful of others. This has become the new norm for us. Quarantining was not something that was easy to get used to, but now it feels almost normal to not leave the house. I miss when I was able to see my friends, go out to eat, and just socialize with others. I can’t even leave my house to get my favorite coffee at Dunkin Donuts. Simple daily activities are now taken away from us, and who knows how much longer we will have to live like this.
This pandemic has taught me that we will face many challenges throughout our lifetime, but we must persevere. I also learned that I took the simple things in my life for granted. When this pandemic ends, I know that I will value everything that comes my way and I won’t forget that the small things were once taken from me, and that they could be taken from me again.
An empty park at a local beach in Nissequogue, NY.