Everyone’s life was always so busy with work, school, homework, playing/watching sports, hanging out with family and friends for birthday/graduation parties, weddings, vacations, etc. Most of us were constantly on the go and the days flew by so it was sometimes nice not to have to do anything; have a lazy day to just stay home and watch TV or just hang out with my family and play games. My family and I thrived on the craziness of our lives. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the norm for us all because mostly all we can do now is slow down and stay home. Is this our new normal forever? God, I hope not.
My 13-year old daughter never thought she would ever say how much she misses school. She misses her everyday normal life; getting on a bus to go to school, being in school, seeing her teachers, hanging out with her friends, and playing the sports she loves! How is this fair? It’s so not, and out of all of our control. My heart breaks for her. I am thrilled she is doing remote e-Learning, but as we all know, this is not the same as being in school and interacting with teachers and classmates every day. I know a lot of students, parents, and teachers have had some struggles with trying to adapt to virtual classrooms and assignments. Some students need more direct one-on-one assistance during or after class in areas they may struggle in. Everyone has a different learning style and while it is convenient to be able to do virtual classrooms, I’m sure remote learning has caused a lot of families a new form of stress.
One of the hardest parts of remote schooling is that is there are no sports/extracurricular activities. We’ve pitched in as a family to do our best for our daughter by going outside for batting practice with her dad, playing catch with a softball with her dad or brothers, and shooting some hoops by herself or with me (her awesome mom)! While we are grateful for the time together to be active and have fun, it is just not the same. This feels like a horrible nightmare and I’m relying heavily on wishful thinking so that one day we will wake up one morning and everything will be back to our usual craziness.
I never realized how much I take for granted: being able to go the office every day and see my co-workers, going to the store without having to wear a face mask, practice staying 6 feet apart from someone and making sure I constantly use hand sanitizer or wash my hands after I touch a cart, grab bags or my latte someone else handed me, or touching anything and everything at this point. I want to go to my kids’ sporting events, go to the movie theater, and you probably feel the same, but I just want to get up and go anywhere! Now there are restrictions wherever you go and whatever you do. Absolutely crazy! Who would have ever thought we would have to live like this?
I miss going to the office everyday (never thought I would ever say this but I mean it) and seeing my lovely co-workers at Sterk Family Law, going to watch my senior college baseball player play out his last year, going to watch my daughter and her travel softball team kick some butt and hang out with the families, or go out for dinner as a family. If there is anything good that has come out of this pandemic, it is that I have had time to reflect and as they say, you really don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.
I hope to see and be with everyone soon but we WILL get through this. Stay safe & healthy!!
Written by Jennifer Hanik
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