Dear Future Me,

Today is Saturday, April 11th–just a day before Easter, which unfortunately I will not be able to celebrate with my family because of Covid-19. We’ve been in quarantine for four weeks, with not much of a clear end in sight. To say the least, things aren’t going too great right now. So many senior events have been or likely will be cancelled/postponed, including Spring, Senior Bunch, Senior Celebration, Prom, and Graduation. My last gymnastics season has been put to a halt. I couldn’t visit the colleges I wanted to see in person. And to make it worse, I can’t see any of my friends.

I know my struggles might be insignificant compared to others’, but it’s still disappointing to not be able to wrap up my last year of high school, and my last year living at home, the way I wanted to. I’m sure a lot of other seniors feel the same way. While right now the stay-at-home order in Illinois only extends to April 30th, I would place my bets that we are not going back to school. And I don’t know how to feel about this considering that my last day of high school, ever, was some random Friday.

Despite everything that is going on, I am trying to maintain a positive outlook. Quarantine isn’t going to last forever. Sooner or later I will be able to carry on with what I want to do. I don’t know when things will be back to normal, but I am hopeful that I will still get to spend at least part of the summer with my friends. And I am hopeful that I will be able to attend the first semester of college in person, not online. Whenever I can end up leaving the house again, I will try not to take it for granted like I did before.

I’m not going to lie; I was bored out of my mind for the first two weeks stuck at home. But now I’ve learned to appreciate all the free time that I have. I’m able to pursue new hobbies that I never had the time to do before, like painting and baking. I’m able to watch TV without feeling guilty for not doing something productive. I can do things besides attending school or practice, which is a nice change, and honestly a bit of relief. I’m able to go outside and relax, or take a bike ride.

I might not be able to see my friends in person, but with technology like Skype we are able to stay connected. Additionally, I’m getting to spend a lot more time with my family. Even though we’ve been driving each other a bit crazy, I can definitely say that we’ve become closer these past few weeks. In the future, even if you’re busy, remember the importance of taking time aside for simple things like this.

On a final note, I hope that our world comes out a better place as a result of Covid-19. It’s easy to miss seeing the good that is happening in a time like this, but it is there if you look hard enough. I hope whatever you are doing in the future, you have learned from everything going on now and are happy.