This is in no way is designed to minimize the trauma that people who have been impacted by this virus are going through. I do not take my health for granted and hope no one else does either. Stay safe, and stay kind.
In a few months when all this has calmed, everyone will return to their new normal. Daily routines will continue on but our days of social distancing, fear of public surfaces and concern with human contact will continue to loom over us until who knows when.
While that is a frightening concept, imagine being a 2020 graduate. We don't get the opportunity to return to any sort of normal we knew before this virus.
Our normal is starting school again in August, tailgating, dancing on the Roy's patio, wine nights with the girls, Starbucks runs, fried Friday, sweating in the Jungle, screaming the words to our favorite songs surrounded by the people who made the last 3.75 years so indescribably special. We were robbed. Robbed of the last .25 years of our college experience, robbed of the memories, robbed of time.
And to make matters worse it's no one's fault. There's no one to blame. Eventually, companies will rebuild, people will find new jobs, schools will reopen, but one thing that can't be replaced is this time.
You're only ever in this moment once and when it's gone, it's gone. No more FAC, no more late-night drives, no more walks around campus.
Our senior year ended and no one told us. We have no new normal to return to and no idea what the future holds. All we have are the memories that we will carry with us until we create something that resembles normal.
So while yes, the whole world is dealing with this horrific pandemic, we are not all going through the same thing.