It’s been 383 days since I got the phone call from my best friend, an ER doctor, urging me to stock my refrigerator, fill my prescriptions, and pull my children out of school. She warned me that the pandemic was coming and there would be a quarantine and the world would be shutting down. I thought she was joking. I actually laughed. Little did I know, the world was about to implode and life as we know it would be changed forever.
I’ve learned a lot about myself and others this year
I’ve learned to let go and reach out for help. Most surprisingly, this extrovert has learned that she can live without a lot of the people and things she used to think were irreplaceable.
Spoiler alert: Most of them are not, but there are a few who are most definitely priceless.
My family, the other three people in this world who I have been held captive with this past year, are the most important people to me — and not just because I chose to spend the rest of my life with one and, literally gave birth to the other two. No, they’re actually good human beings. Sure they get on my nerves, as I’m sure I get on theirs after 383 days imprisoned in our home together, but I couldn’t do life without them.
But there are others that I’ve learned that I could absolutely live without
In fact, they’ve already been ghosted but probably don’t even realize it yet. I’ve also accepted that there are only a handful of other people I even notice are missing from my life and even fewer than that who I care are missing. COVID-19, the past year’s racial tensions, the 2020 election, and mass shootings in the news have actually proven to be a good weeding out process for people.
COVID deniers, anti-maskers, “All Lives Matter,” and “Patriots”, no thank you, I’ll pass. You’ve failed my litmus test for intelligent life. The Karens were blending in, I had no idea they were not my people, until they started wearing their MAGA hats, refusing to wear their masks, and speaking the most incredibly stupid conspiracy theories imaginable.
As the mom of an immunocompromised child, when I see anyone without a mask, I assume they are not good people. To me, not wearing that mask speaks volumes. The same goes for openly refusing to get a vaccination while screaming that the government is trying to chip you. Nope, I’m pretty sure they’re trying to save lives but hey, you can’t argue with stupid and I’m at the point in this pandemic where I don’t even want to.
Let’s face it, one thing the pandemic has really proven is that I can live without a lot of people — even people I share genetics with
Life’s too short to try to convince a grown person why they should do the right thing. Also, I’m too old and too smart to waste my time on people who only care about themselves.
I’ll stick with quality over quantity of people in my life now. I’m an extroverted people person but this year has taught me to be happy with my own company. I’ve gotten closer to my husband, my daughters, and that bestie who warned of of this COVID apocalypse. I’ve learned things about myself and my family and friends that I never even considered before because I was so busy.
My favorite thing to come out of this pandemic is how much better I’ve gotten to know the people I love because we talk on such a deeper level now. After a year of quarantining, losing people, and worrying about life and death issues, there are no more secrets between the people who truly matter.
Life may never go back to normal but I’m glad I’ve had the chance to be present and recognize how important the people dearest to me are, and with this new perspective, I now have the courage to let others go for good.
