March 13th, 2020
Friday, March 13th marks the day two years ago that was my last day of high school and I know it was the last normal day of school for many of you too. Let’s just say a lot has changed…
As we know, COVID impacted everyone and some were affected more than others, losing loved ones and friends. We can never forget that.
On the other hand, many people were affected in less tangible ways, feeling the most vulnerable they have felt in their entire life. I know I was one of these people. Missing prom, not having a real graduation, and having an entirely online first year of college are still things I think about. It felt like one thing after the other was getting erased from my experiences that I felt were so concrete for so long. If you can relate in one way or another, I’m sure you feel the same way too. With so many awful things happening during a pandemic, it's hard to think that these things matter. All I can say is these things matter too.
Looking back at these past two years, I cannot believe how far we’ve come. The advances in science and technology to produce new types of vaccines and treatments are fascinating, especially now that we can look back to see what we’ve accomplished and how relatively fast we did it. It is definitely motivating to see the power of STEM in the world, even though I sometimes wish we weren’t forced to develop these advancements so quickly. It has also motivated me to see the power of computers in a newly virtual world and helped me appreciate how fortunate we are to use technology.
Overall, I’ve gained a new appreciation for spending time with friends and family, trying to always attend events with them because it's easy to take these social interactions for granted. I’ve also gained a new perspective on being flexible and willing to try new things because you never know when those opportunities will be present again. As vulnerable as I’ve felt these last two years, it is empowering to see we can get through these things and how the world can start back up again.
On this Sunday, March 13th I hope you can look back at the hard times and appreciate what we’ve gotten through too.
Jennifer Weir