Last updated on November 26, 2023
We have reached the two-year anniversary of our family’s COVID-19 lockdown. World events have largely overshadowed the pandemic. We’re safe at home, as we have been for 24 months. Watching events in Ukraine unfold, it would be incredibly self-centered to whine about anything we’ve experienced.
Sometimes we need to step back and realistically compare our lives to what others experience around the globe.
Most of my friends and colleagues in other countries have nothing like what Susan and I have. We have a large house, a big yard for the suburbs, two cars, four computers, iPads, iPhones, and plenty of food for emergencies. We have more books than some school libraries, with books in every space short of the bathrooms.
I’m fortunate enough to be able to homeschool the girls. Susan has a great job that allows her to telecommute. We aren’t “essential workers” who have to put ourselves at risk of COVID. I’m not sure “shame” is the right word, but I feel something like guilt or shame when I use the curbside grocery service, the drive-through pharmacy, or other conveniences knowing that the people providing these services have little choice.
A friend reminds me that it’s okay to still have complaints. It’s human nature to want more from life — that’s why some of us never stop chasing dreams. Yet, it feels wrong, even immoral, to have any gripes about my life.
We don’t live in a war zone. All our needs are met. We are together as a family.
When I do complain, it’s out of concern that they girls aren’t getting a chance to develop their social skills. Then, Susan reminds me that pre-pandemic wasn’t normal for the girls. They didn’t have close friends. The girls were outsiders at school.
It’s not wrong to want normal experiences for our daughters, but how bad has the pandemic really been for them? The girls are learning grade-level materials. They are in a house filled with technology, books, and crafting supplies.
Yes, the pandemic has dragged on for two years. I long for the day when COVID-19 is behind us. But, we have everything we need… and more. All around me are reminders of just how fortunate we are.