How The Pandemic Has Brought My Family Closer Together

Considering everything that has been going on since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, I think it’s about time we stop saying that things will “go back to normal” and accept the situation instead. This is the new normal. Protective masks, social distancing, and washing our hands excessively are now part of our everyday lives. But it isn’t all so bad. Granted, being quarantined has been very challenging for everyone, in different ways. But the fact that we had to stay home with our family members and endure all this together has brought many families closer than ever before, including mine. 

Being around family at this uncertain time means emotional support and peace of mind. Even though we are in the midst of a pandemic, at least we have the comfort of being with our loved ones. I guess there’s a silver lining even in dreadful moments such as during this pandemic.

I shifted my focus to what’s important.

When the lockdown started, even the companies that weren’t fans of remote working had to adjust to the situation and accept it. So did we. For some, working from home and navigating the challenges related to it was nothing new, but for others, it took a lot of effort to adapt. There was nowhere to go.

We had to create little office spaces and get used to working with the sound of the TV in the background or children making noise. We had to be creative and turn our homes into multi-functioning facilities. They had to serve as an office, a place for the family to gather, as well as a school. 

It was a struggle, I won’t lie. But what choice did we have? We could try and make the best out of it. After all, working from home and not being able to visit your favorite restaurant is not the end of the world. Let us remember that people lost their family members as well as their jobs due to COVID-19. I considered myself lucky.

I learned to take a break with my family.

When the lockdown began, we were all in panic as we couldn’t predict how everything would turn out. The busy life that we knew suddenly stopped and we had to reinvent everything. But if it weren’t for the coronavirus, would we ever take a break on our own? 

We were all so busy to even catch up with each other before. But all of a sudden, we were quarantining with our families. We had all the time in the world to catch up, talk, and provide comfort in a time of isolation and loneliness.

My favorite part of the day became the evening when each family member finished with their daily duties and we would gather in the living room to play family-friendly board games, watch movies, and snack on popcorn and candy. 

Before the pandemic, we would often be too tired to watch a movie together. We would also frequently attend social events in the evening thus missing out on some quality family time. Plus, since we always had to get up very early, we usually hurried to bed so that we would be fresh in the morning. 

The lockdown made us learn a valuable lesson — a family will always be your comfort zone.

No matter what goes on in the world and how much you argue about silly things, you have a support network that will never fail you. Sure, we had minor disagreements from time to time (usually about something as trivial as whose turn it is to clean the cat’s litter box or do the dishes), but they were incredibly irrelevant compared to the big picture.

These moments together in front of the TV or at the dining table while sharing a homemade meal made me realize the meaning of unconditional love. I am still terrified for the world but truly grateful for what I have learned from this experience. Determined not to be sleep deprived again from the stresses of the quarantine, I also checked out some new, comfy bedroom furniture sets. 

Yes, quarantining with my family has been difficult in more ways than one. However, I wouldn’t trade it for anything as it made us grow closer than ever. We all needed that time to bond with our loved ones, especially in these dark times.

Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash