291 Days
Written by: Dr. Sarah
This morning I asked Google how many days had passed since March 13, 2020, the day our household officially began our lockdown due to COVID-19. 291 days.
It's been 291 days since I returned from my last work trip to Colorado.
291 days since I've seen my friends in person, and family for more than a 5 minute drop-off of birthday gifts, or a distanced hello and goodbye.
291 days since Lilly and I have gone to the movies, the Zoo, the aquarium, the Treehouse Museum, shopping beyond just grocery pick-up or a quick run in to grab something as fast as we could.
This year has been an incredible challenge for so many of us, not only as parents, but just as human beings. For those of us with pre-existing conditions like asthma, diabetes, and more the last year has been an absolute nightmare as we have forced ourselves into isolation. Isolation that no amount of online interaction with Zoom, Facetime, or phone calls can counter.
My mom asked me earlier this month if I'd learned anything over the last year. I said "Not really." I already knew I hated stasis. I like to do things, see people, and go places. No amount of forcing myself to slow down will remedy the anxiety I feel from not being able to get out and go.
If anything I've learned that I am definitely not as resilient as I thought myself to be prior to all of this. COVID-19 has seemed to have brought out the little ball of anxiety and depression in a massive way.
For the kiddo, she's just as cooped-up. While we've gone on walks to our local pond, taken short trips to the outdoor trails on the Nature Center, and gone on drives, her inability to hang out with kids in the neighborhood and her own cousins has taken its toll on her.
I feel in many ways, I've wasted this entire year. I could have been teaching her new things, teaching both Lilly and I how to be more resilient and self-reliant. But I let it go to waste. There's no fixing that now. My only hope is that we move into 2021 in just a few days I can reset, renew, and refresh the outlook I have. Practice resiliency, patience, and find ways to enjoy being home before we can all get vaccinated.
Practice courage.