During these unprecedented times, life has been put on hold. Stopping not only normal life, but jobs, free expression, and simple social interactions all around the world as the Corona Virus hovers amidst life as we know it. When the reigns of Covid fall and the medical masks can be removed, times will be changed forever and the gift of today will never again be just a day. Following, is a list of all the things to never be taken for granted again after the lockdowns subside: 

1. Hanging out with Friends: With the stigma of Corona, large groups have been cut off and with this, friend groups that were once inseparable have seen the same fate. From a simple hello everyday or a smile when friends meet, quarantine has deprived the world of that undervalued luxury. Technology just simply does not do social friend groups justice. When life returns, hug your friends and make sure they know that they are valued as you never know when and how you could ever be separated again.

2. Eating Out: Mom stuck in the kitchen during quarantine leads to her wanting to cook today, tomorrow, and the next day. When the rotation between chicken, spaghetti, tacos, and burgers is up, you are in trouble. Whether it is your favorite food or something interesting thrown into the crockpot the meals are going to run short and you will get sick of it. You will eventually fantasize about the freedom to eat at your favorite restaurant and not at your kitchen table. Savor that meal when you get it because it will be the taste of liberty that was given up during the hard times.

3. Time with Older Family: The spread of Covid has the hardest impact on the older generations and since the spread of the virus is so impactful to them, they likely are quarantined away from you and your parents. Being away from them makes you realize how valuable their presence truly is. Flattening the curve is essential during these trying times and having to distance themselves from you is just as hard for your grandparents as it is for you. They are likely lonely and scared and when this is over take the time to value their love for you. 
4. School: The once most hated part of the year for young students has suddenly become the part of daily life that has been ripped away and simply not fulfilled to the fullest. With the routine part school employs, students are simply bored and miss their “normal lives.” Zoom has been its replacement but the social interactions and mentorship of teachers is lacking. Next school year, the once annoying statement of “I have school tomorrow” will be stated with excitement come August. Never again will math homework and lunch time will be taken as a luxury in the 20-21 school year.

5. Taking Vacations: When the walls of your house are now the new source of your entertainment as you stare at them for hours, you can’t help but imagine escaping the confining walls. From spring breaks being cut short or scrapped all together, the dreams of what that week could’ve held are left behind since quarantine. When vacations are simply a luxury in normal life, now just leaving the house is the same tier. When we can stop counting the days and resume outside activities traveling whether it be to another house or to Hawaii, it will be a gift beyond compare. 

The days of staying inside are tallying up and the day the doors are opened it will be revolutionizing and the eyes of the world will be opened to the gifts everyday holds. The people are going to find more love in their hearts for what they get to do and the freedoms that are apparent after the quarantine is lifted.