At the beginning of this semester, I think it is safe to say that no one was expecting it to play out the way it did. Life felt like it was being flipped in the shortest amount of time possible; if this makes any sense, looking back at my goals, thoughts, and actions in the beginning of the semester, I feel as though I was so naive. For every single one of us so many things have changed and as with most big life events, these experiences come with lessons. Being home and only digitally in contact with most of the people in my life has given me ample opportunities to reflect on my second semester of college.
Although it may seem repetitive, the most important lesson I have focused on reminding myself is to never take anything for granted. I feel most, if not all of us have revisited that specific lesson, specifically because it encapsulates our lives—every single aspect of them; everything we have and experience in our lives tends to rely on us being alive. Life is the most valuable “thing” we have, and time does not wait around for us to realize that we should strive for the most wholesome life.
Tragically we have lost thousands of people to Covid-19, and this is not something that will just end based on everyone’s wish to return to normalcy this summer. This semester taught me to really be grateful and enjoy the time I have with my loved ones every opportunity I have. My grandparents mean the world to me, and as grateful as I am for them to be alive and healthy, I miss them so much. Just last week I watched my cat try to claw through a window screen to get pets from my grammy on the other side. As an animal person I may come off a bit too invested in the relationship between my grandparents and my cats, but I would give so much to have her be able to come into my house and hangout with her “furry grandsons”.
My friends are healthy but I miss the times we could just be with each other. My sister is finishing her senior year of high school, and watching her biggest events get cancelled has really made me appreciate having a full senior year; the span of May to August with the friends I grew up with is really a time period I am grateful for. As with my home friends, I miss my college friends, and classes that I could physically attend. Our english class was a favorite of mine, I never would have imagined a specific class could make me feel so comfortable presenting or talking in front of them. As boring as some of my lectures could be, and as painful it was to wake up for my lovely 8am classes, I will no longer take those for granted.
Lastly, I learned how brave, resilient, and inspiring health care workers really are. The people working countless hours to give all of their energy to try to save people they have never known is truly remarkable. I am in disbelief from the disrespect people in our country are showing them. I see it as nothing short of selfish to go against the recommendations of some of the most intelligent doctors by protesting and gathering in large crowds. These health care workers are risking their physical and mental health to help, and I am again amazed; these heroes will end up working to save the same people that are putting themselves in harm’s way.
This semester will truly be one I remember for the rest of my life, and I hope to take as much as I can from this experience.
English 110 Spring 2020 10:10-11:00 
This piece is very well written, Elizabeth. I completely agree about not taking anything for granted. Back at school I just ignored so much that went on and never really cherished it because I knew the same thing would just happen again tomorrow. Now I know that we never know when our daily routine will get switched up, and we need to appreciate everything going on, no matter how small.
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Elizabeth, your writing here is really amazing. I love how much emotion and thought you put into it and how many different lessons you’ve learned. In my own essay, I only reflected on one lesson but you incorporated so many. I think that even though these lessons can seem so trivial, they are really important to remember. This incident more than anything has taught me how quickly things can change and how naïve we can be about big situations like this. Hopefully you’ll get to see your friends and family soon without being afraid of them getting sick. Have a great summer!
-Tess Williams
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Elizabeth, I have to agree with you. Like you said, people are always telling you not to take things for granted. Although, I think this message often goes in one ear and out the other, like it does for most preachy advice. Unfortunately, one of the only true ways to appreciate this sentiment is to experience it, like we are now with this pandemic. I’ve seen people lose their friends, family members, and neighbors. When tragedy strikes close to home you have no choice but to start paying attention and working towards the solution. I agree that everyone should be giving their cooperation during these times as it’s difficult to see the definite end to this. And surprisingly, part of me isn’t joking when I say that I’m excited to once again wake up way too early and walk way too far to get to class on campus next semester. Maybe next year it will be better when I’m able to have a pet, because as we both can agree, animals are solution to everything. Stay safe! Amazing job.
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