During this pandemic, I’ve learned quite a bit about myself and my family. I learned at noon the day I was to leave for spring break that there was a very strong possibility that we wouldn’t be coming back after. I helped my friends pack, not very worried about the prospect of having to pack my own things up yet. At two, they sent out the official email telling us to pack our entire rooms up and leave as soon as possible. That’s when I leapt into action packing my own room up and, letting my parents know, I was on the road with all of my college belongings and memories by five. Thinking back on it, I was more calm and collected in the face of this stress than ever before.
Coming home, I didn’t realize how bad it was in New York. I hadn’t known that there were any confirmed cases in upstate New York but once I got back, I learned there were nearly a hundred in Albany. Our little local Hannaford was out of soups, Kleenex, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, and many vegetables. I was shocked each time I had to go out and grab something we had forgotten from the store. Although I did everything I could to keep myself and everyone around me healthy, I was unnerved by the limits on certain items and the shields put up between customers and employees. It just showed what a changed world we lived in now. Despite the chaos around me, I stayed calm, getting what I needed from the store and heading back home to the certainty that awaited me there. While I would normally panic being in public under such uncertain terms, I kept my cool and avoided as many people as I could.
Being an introvert, I had always preferred the comfort of my own bedroom and the certainty of my own plans. I didn’t realize just how much I didn’t need human contact though, until this quarantine. Having all day to myself, I’ve been able to get so much more done. In between work for school, I can finish chores around the house, take walks in the woods with my dogs, spend quality time with my pets, do more art, exercise on my own terms, and even read a book. Not only am I busy, I’m content. Although I miss my friends a lot, I have so much time to get things done that I need to. Sometimes, this leads me to forget other things I need to do, but this happens a lot less now than it did in college. Although the deadlines are still the same, the environment at home is much quieter and less distracting than a college dorm. I have my own room where I can get things done in relative quiet and there aren’t the distractions of friends walking past.
I learned too, that my mother is one of the most hardworking people I’ve ever met. Although I knew she was an important member where she works, Schenectady ARC, I didn’t quite realize how much of her day is spent rushing around answering email, attending meetings (which she now has to do online), and fielding calls from concerned staff members. This is her normal day, but since the pandemic, I’ve seen her stress go up more. My mom works with people who are developmentally disabled, making them an extremely at-risk population during this time. Not only can many of them not take care of themselves already, some are on oxygen, making them prone to lung illnesses anyway. Watching her calmly take care of any issue that comes up makes me extremely proud to be her daughter. I can see how she reacts to things on the surface and I can see how it takes a toll on her when she hangs up the phone.
Through everything though, my mom has stayed steady, she not only takes care of the problems that arise at work but she and I take care of the over twenty animals on our property together. We work as a team, splitting up chores between the two of us to make them go faster. With both her work and the farm that we live on, there are no breaks. At any moment, an animal could come home soaked in blood like my dog did a few weeks ago or a call could come in about a possible case of COVID-19 breaking out at work which happens a lot now that people are becoming paranoid. In any of these situations, my mom takes charge and handles it. She always knows how to keep others calm while jumping into action to do anything she can to alleviate the situation. I’ve lived with her all my life but never have we spent this much time together just the two of us. It’s made me realize how much she truly takes on just in one day, and it’s given me a new appreciation for all that she does not only as my mother but as a homeowner, as a landlord, as a boss, as a top administrator, as someone who is dealing with this pandemic in the best ways she can.
Quarantine hasn’t been easy. I’ve been missing my friends, especially the ones I know I won’t see until next year, and time management has slipped my mind at times. Yet, I’m finding it’s a lot easier than I expected to adjust to so much time spent at home. A relaxing, inviting space is essential to learning and I’m glad that I could find that at home so easily. Having my mom here has immensely helped as well. It has helped me appreciate what she does, even more, it has helped keep me calm in this uncertain time, and it has helped me be able to be there for her in this time as well. Despite the panic around us, it is important to realize what we have and be grateful for those who are here supporting us. Let’s focus on them. Let’s appreciate what they do for us and let’s be there for them in return. In a time where no one really knows what is going to happen next, appreciate those around you that have brought joy to otherwise monotonous days.
