On March 12, 2020, our lives as we knew them changed completely. Students celebrated the news of a two week break due to concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Little did everyone know this would be the last normal day of high school for the rest of the year and for some, the rest of their lives. Every single aspect of life as we knew it was about change. 

We all thought this was just an early spring break, we hadn’t  yet realized how far this was gonna go. I remember all the plans I made, all the people I was going to see, all of the different things I was going to be able to do now that school was out for so long. But then, as people started to stay home, and things began to close, everything got so much more serious. Soon thereafter, the entire country was at a stand still. We were terrified of what was going to happen next. 

One morning, I woke up with a terrible cough and a sore throat. I wrote it off as allergies and went about my day. Each day after that, it got worse and worse. I woke up with a tiny fever, and my whole body ached. For the next two weeks, I sat in my room alone, only interacting with my mom who came to bring me food three times a day. All I wanted was a hug, but no one, not even my dogs could give me that. 

Every single morning I woke up, grabbed my pens, drew, did school work (or at least tried), ate what I could, FaceTimed my girlfriend at the time, stared out my window, and thought about how much I missed being out in the world. It became the new normal. 

I counted down the days in a notebook until I could leave my house again, until I could give my mom a hug, until I could see my dad again. But even after I was okay again, everything else still wasn’t. Eventually I had to stop watching the news. I couldn’t handle hearing about how much worse it was getting; it made me start to lose hope that anything would ever be the same again. 

However, over time, as I remained confined to the walls of my home, I had a lot of time to think. My perspective on life completely changed. I had come to the realization that I had taken so much in my life for granted, things such as walking down the sidewalk in downtown Denver with my friends, being able to go to school and sit face to face with my peers and learn, even being able to go to the store and buy toilet paper whenever I wanted. I had found so much gratitude. 

Now, two months later, I’ve seen so much change in the world. We as people have been forced to come together and support each other in creative ways. Things like virtual concerts to raise money for those in need, howling at the moon to support healthcare workers across the nation, hanging out with friends in a parking lot from behind a driver’s side window.  We found ways to adapt to our new way of life. We learned to appreciate everything we had before. 

We’ve all grown so much as people due to the fact that almost everything we had got taken away from us. It is a time to reflect. So I urge you to take what you’ve learned over this period of time and use it to your advantage. With things beginning to open up, remember to appreciate every little thing you are able to do and to live life to the fullest of your abilities

And don’t forget to wear a mask.