Isabelle S., Holy Angels Elementary School
COVID Grows Love
My life changed on Friday, March 13, 2020, when my school closed due to COVID-19. Learning changed from full day, in-person classes to completely online . When our school shut down, I thought that I would be back in our building in no time. When activities like volleyball, dance, and our family vacation were canceled, I realized something big was happening. I expected this “shutdown” to be short-lived. I went from having a hectic schedule, with multiple activities, to a much slower paced schedule and spending time at home. I turned the challenges of being in quarantine into opportunities for growth by spending time with family and doing things for my friends.
Family became more essential to me than anything. We did a Zoom call with my cousin, who turned 2 during the quarantine, and I felt sad that I couldn’t celebrate with him. I also missed my grandparents dearly. I was able to see my grandma, who lives down the street, because I became her “DoorDash” employee delivering dinner to her every evening. It was particularly important to me to have that interaction with her, even if it was from 6 feet away. I missed her hugs! Our relationship became special while we were quarantined. We also did a Zoom call with my dad’s family who live in Chillicothe, Ohio. As you can see, my family is especially important to me, because of the quarantine, I appreciate them even more. But that’s not the only part of my family that was impacted.
My relationships with my sister changed during the quarantine too. Before the quarantine, we butted heads every day, saying things that we didn’t mean. However, while in quarantine, we started to chat, open up, and became closer. My sister helped me through quarantine, she helped me exercise (when I just wanted to play on my phone), played games with me, and made me laugh. My sister is now someone I can talk to about any subject..
Two months into the quarantine, I was missing my friends and wanted to surprise them. I started an activity with them and sent text messages asking them to describe their favorite colors, animals, games, and treats. It was fun getting their lists back. We bought their favorite items and then I made baskets and wrote each of them notes to describe our friendship, and then secretly delivered the gifts to their houses. It was fun watching from afar as they opened the door to find their surprises.
The pandemic has presented many challenges, but those were also opportunities for personal growth and in my relationships. By helping my grandma with dinner, we became closer. By talking to my sister we became tighter. Through raising the spirits of my friends, I got to know them better. Focusing on my family rather than the events around us made our bonds stronger. The opportunities that arose out of the pandemic are what I hope to remember most from this unique time in my life.
