What the pandemic has done to me

An early Zoom meet-up at home with my daughter Isabel in March, 2020.

Today is my one-year anniversary in quarantine.

One year ago today I taught my last in-person class at The University of Alabama, packed my laptop and some midterms and went home. I’ve left since then only to walk each day or pick up drive-up groceries. My 18-year-old daughter has been home with me.

Gone are the “Let’s have a quarantini!” sad, virtual happy-hour jokes of the early days of quarantine.

Like all of us I learned that my life didn’t stop just because the world slowed down. My daughter was diagnosed with autism, graduated from high school and started college. My longest relationship — with my cat Lolly — ended when she died. Another cat was diagnosed with epilepsy. My mom was in the hospital three times. I ended a relationship, which was heartbreaking. I tried pandemic dating. The list goes on.

Isabel chose not to attend her graduation since I am high risk, so we had a one-person ceremony.

I have learned so much this year. Despite my active imagination, my cats do not throw keg parties during the day when I leave the house to walk. They loaf around the house, blissfully ignorant of the hushed chaos outside.

The pandemic taught me to sit in the quiet. I previously hated that phrase. It’s so pretentious.