Even though so much of the time revolving around the COVID-19 pandemic feels like a blur at times, I remember the initial transition for myself and my family to quarantine happening fairly slowly. 

The school week started off average enough, with the exception of knowing the virus was spreading throughout the United States. At the time, as a junior in high school, things were following their usual pattern: go to school, then musical rehearsal, go to work part-time on the weekend, nothing out of the ordinary at the time. 

Then schools were ordered to close and eventually everyone considered to be a non-essential worker was ordered to quarantine a couple weeks later. 

My parents’ jobs weren’t included in that category, so outside of the new social distancing precautions at their workplaces, COVID didn’t significantly alter their presence in and out of the house. The school my older sister worked at closed for a few months; she had been living with us since graduating from SLU. 

Even though my personal life didn’t get thrown out of balance in a very dramatic way, I was more than aware that other people around me weren’t as fortunate. This became more and more true as the lockdown continued and the death toll grew. 

I had already begun to realize how precious our experiences with the people around us are, due to previous circumstances, but witnessing the impact this virus and lockdown had on the world around me gave me a new perspective on my relationships with my loved ones. 

During the time we were all together, I realized we all seemed to unite and bond over two things: food and our favorite movies and shows. I always enjoyed both of my parents’ cooking and I had gotten to a point where I wanted to make some of my own dishes and foods I had seen them make for years.

Even if we weren’t cooking and just ordered takeout, we still spent our time outside,telling stories, reminiscing about family and friends and laughing about any crazy thing we saw at work or school. Most of the time, the food wasn’t what I remember most about those meals; it was just getting the chance to laugh. 

The same thing goes for the movies or shows we watched. It was more satisfying to just be there with them and share the experience of watching something together. 

This is something I still enjoy doing with my family and it’s still some of the best moments in my life. 

 Even in the moments when we were tuned into the news and watched with dread the updates on COVID cases, I was aware that I was fortunate enough to have a family I could lean on and look forward to the next day with.