If you’ve ever waited in a long line, waited to make your point in an argument, or waited for an episode of your favorite show, you’ve also probably learned that humans are not very patient creatures. Right now, our patience and resolve have been tested by one of the most harrowing global events in years: the COVID-19 pandemic. As hundreds of thousands of cases ravage families, the economy, and international relations, it feels like every aspect of our modern society has been contaminated by a quarantine that has cut our lives to a halt.

     With more than 400,000 cases spread between 50 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, quarantine and social distancing have robbed many Americans of the interpersonal experiences that we had been awaiting. As proms, graduations, and senior parties find themselves canceled in the pursuit of protecting public health, it’s important to recognize what we’ve had to leave behind. 

     Senior Horace McMillon, writing editor for the North Pasture, admitted that there were several activities he was sad to miss out on.

     “I’m going to miss cum laude and college decision day the most,” McMillon said. “I don’t have the grades to get into Cum Laude, but I always loved the funny videos for the presentation and the speeches the seniors gave in previous years. It’s a cathartic moment. We as a group have gone through this shared journey of highschool together, all of us taking different paths along the way, some joining and leaving. College decision day was the day to me where we look at each other and say ‘We made it. We got to the end.’ And to lose that moment is very sad to me.”

     Seniors are especially wounded by these events, not having to only worry about their safety, but also manage eventual regret; however, we can push ourselves to avoid harboring ill will towards this period in time. Senior Kallen Mitchell explains how she deals with her feelings while social distancing.

     “Reach out to your friends, for sure. They are probably feeling the same way.” Mitchell said. “ It’s helped me personally to think about the bigger picture of all of this, too. When I know there are people out there losing loved ones to COVID-19, it makes losing my senior year and not seeing my friends much less of a big deal.”

     McMillion expresses that there can be some potential bright sides to this situation as long we’re willing to look for it.

     “Now, you should realize that it’s going to be hard and get over it,” McMillon said. “You only have the fourth quarter left, if that helps. Some people just need to get organized and take class seriously. Keep up with your work out of class. This is good practice for college and the outside world. We’re going to get to a point in our life where we don’t have a built-in structure for us to get work done. This disease is practice in building that structure ourselves.”

     Students are the only ones impacted by these recent events. Even though students feel like they’ve been stopped at an important junction, teachers are similarly being forced to suddenly adjust to a new system of teaching. This sudden change impacts some greater than others. St. Andrew’s English teacher Taylor Kitchings planned to retire next year after ending this year on a good note; however, the current pandemic has thrown a wrench into that plan.

     “My favorite part of teaching over the past thirty years has been class discussion and of course that’s radically different without a classroom. I am like a rookie teacher now, discovering my new favorite parts,” Kitchings said, “Give your full attention to what’s worthy of your attention and do not give in to worry or regret. We will be together again soon, having endured a strange and difficult time, reminded by our communal endurance of how important we are to each other.”

     The isolation and grief we may feel during quarantine aren’t the most pleasant emotions, but that’s okay. Instead of avoiding our insecurities during this time, we should substitute our RSVPs for relationships, forging our own memories out of our common pain. In our case, commiseration can potentially be the best medicine.