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2022-04-29
Navigating through the COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020 (My Story) #Rel101
In this story I share how life changed for all people. How the pandemic changed lives and how lots of people experienced loss in significant ways. In this contribution I shared a reflection on my experience at the start of the pandemic and how life is post the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. -
2020-06-05
A Covid Graduation
I’ve submitted two pictures from my high school graduation. Many 2020 seniors didn’t get to have graduation, I was fortunate enough that my school had one. -
2021-04-01
My Awakening
For me, the start of covid began in the middle of my freshman year of college. Just like everyone else, I took my precautions and even got the vaccine. Around April of 2021, being isolated and forced to accompany myself. I had felt like I was in a transitioning stage of life, I felt the need to grow and do more things for myself. I have completely changed my life around, a full 360. I broke up with my ex-boyfriend because I could see our differences in emotional intelligence and maturity. That was my final straw that made me break out of my cocoon. I had deleted some social media that I felt was a major distraction and a road block for me to grow more confidently. I began focusing more on my school work and connecting with new people. I even got a new serving job and was making good money for being a college kid. I learned to enjoy the things I had forgotten about, such as painting and singing. I learned to connect to myself. This pandemic has opened me up to new opportunities and has provided me with a few life lessons. Life is more than simply succeeding to be at the top. Don’t forget to take a breather and surrender to what the moment is teaching you or blessing you with. -
2021-05-15
Graduation: We Made It Work
I was very lucky to graduate in Spring of 2021 from Eastern Connecticut State University, as my school managed to create a socially-distanced graduation for us. It was a tricky event for the university to handle, and commencement had to be divided into three ceremonies at various times. You had to wear a mask and each chair was placed six feet apart. Handshakes were skipped in favor of elbow bumps and air fives. Despite all the planning, the event was truly memorable and so special to me. In 2020 my father unexpectedly passed away (not COVID related). Being able to attend a "real" graduation in 2021 meant the world to me, as I felt like I had achieved something and was honoring his memory. Though COVID-19 has limited many events, I was fortunate to have participated in a commencement ceremony this past semester. -
2021-02-25
Jewish Melbourne
As a Yiddish teacher the plague year was marked by a shift to online teaching. Of course this involved inconveniences and accomodations but mostly I was so grateful to have a job that meant I got to stay in contact with people throughout 2020. In classes I worked hard to support students in a difficult time, but also found myself energised and reassured by the regular social contact they provided. I've chose two pictures of my classes - one, a kids class featuring members of my family and the other, a screenshot from one of my long running classes at the Kadimah. The kids class was often fairly chaotic on zoom, marked by kids disappearing, scribbling on the screen or more interested in making faces in the camera than anything else. But it still represented a weekly engagement with Yiddishkayt for these kids, who all live in the North of Melbourne and attend state schools. The image I chose of one of my adults class is from a night when there was a blackout in my street - all the lights went off and my connection cut out. I realised though that I could teach using my phone for internet - it just meant sitting in the dark! I remember a strong feeling of "the show must go on" in a time when so much else was uncertain it was important to me that every Monday evening was the same - Yiddish class with my longtime students. Throughout lockdown students have been so patient and understanding of everything that has had to change and even now as I am extremely over teaching online I am honestly so grateful for what they've given me - meaninful, interesting, engaging work and social contact! We should all be so lucky. -
2021-02-24
Pinch Me and Tell Me I’m Not Dreaming, Because Your Girl Got Shot #1!
It is, pardon the inaccurate historical depiction, like the Wild West trying to get a vaccine in Southern CA. Los Angeles has been plagued by affluent insiders getting special access codes meant for marginalized populations, keeping vulnerable groups from vaccination. This week, Orange County opened up vaccines to educators, agricultural workers, and emergency services. Before our special educator link was even emailed out to us, it was compromised by an insider sharing it and spots were taken. I obsessively checked my Othena app (Orange County’s official app) but no luck. Yesterday, my husband, also in education so eligible, woke up to a text from his boss that said “Walgreens opened for educators.” I was already teaching over Zoom, so while I continued, my husband sat on the floor two feet away and logged into Walgreens. Thankfully, I had some video clips that I was about to show after our discussion. As soon as I put the video clips on for my students, I muted myself on Zoom and told my husband to log me in on the other computer. It was like getting concert tickets. Click - “this time is no longer available.” After clicking and clicking for a minute, an appointment confirmation came through... for the NEXT DAY. I was in shock and my husband said “don’t get your hopes up” because so many appointments have been cancelled or supplies have run out. And it seemed so unbelievable. I screenshot the confirmation and hoped for the best. In the words of the musical Hamilton, I was not throwing away my shot. I didn’t actually get a confirmation email until 10:45 pm - 13 hours later, but was still skeptical. In a bit of poetic irony, the Walgreens I selected (at random) is 45 minutes away in a city called Corona. So you could say I was headed to Corona to beat Corona. The whole way there, I braced for being turned away. When I checked in, I was shocked it was actually happening. Then they took my temperature. I get cold really easily, so the whole ride to Corona we left the air off (my husband drove me in case I had after effects... and because I haven’t driven since March 16, 2020) even though it was about 80. I also have bangs on my forehead and when I’m nervous my heart races like I’m running a marathon. Bad combo. My temperature was too high for a vaccine. My heart broke inside and the lady looked at me and said “just fill this out, relax, and I’ll take it again.” She did a few minutes later and I honestly don’t know if she flubbed it for me or not, but five minutes later, I had Pfizer shot dose one. And, finding out I was a teacher, the woman administering the shot told me to get my phone out to take a picture! She said “don’t you want a picture?” She was as happy as I was. No joke, as I started getting my vaccine, the very cheesy Natasha Bedingfield song “Unwritten” played on the Walgreens speaker, and after getting my post shot instructions, I walked out of the store (to wander around for the required 15 minutes outside) with Natasha singing “Today is where your book begins The rest is still unwritten.” It was so ridiculous that I really considered maybe I’m in a Truman Show situation. I also teared up because the eleven months of not driving my car, seeing my students, seeing my friends, seeing my family sort of hit me... it’s a lot of emotion to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I did also consider the sobering reality that you have to be tipped off to be able to snag a vaccine appointment. By the time I told people that Walgreens was legitimately open for us, the appointments were booked. While I am overjoyed for myself, I can’t help but be saddened at how this whole process has unfolded. I really hope they can fix the system so unrepresented populations who might not have a boss that can text them as soon as appointments open can equitably access protection. It’s only been four hours, so no side effects yet. I do feel like my entire body has been clenched for eleven months and it has finally relaxed... I may actually get a worry free night of sleep for the first time in a long time. In short, the gratitude I have is immeasurable. -
2021-02-18
Watching My Baby Cousins Grow Up On Zoom
At the beginning of the pandemic, when everything went into lockdown, my uncle started weekly family Zoom calls on Sunday mornings. Through these weekly calls, we actually saw each other more often than before the pandemic, and they became a nice time to check in with everybody and share stories and what's going on with our lives. My favorite part is seeing my two baby cousins, both of whom don't live near me. When we started, my youngest cousin was four months old, and through Zoom, we have watched her learn to walk and we celebrated her first birthday together. My other baby cousin loves to talk to the family and share her toys, clothes, and food through the screen. It is all very cute, and I am grateful for the family time I get to have through Zoom. -
2021-01-14
I got the vaccine!
On Thursday, January 14, I got the first round of the Moderna vaccine. I am a high school teacher in American Falls Idaho. I think I might be one of the first teachers in the country to get the vaccine. I am very excited and honored to be among the first. I’m very grateful to my school district for working hard to get vaccines. -
2020-09-18
Isabella's Story
In this article, Isabella Simonetti discusses how she never imagined little things in her life not going as planned before March, but now her life has been totally flipped upside-down. Along with changes in her school life and work life, Isabella was also one of the people who had their 21st birthday look a little different because of the pandemic. She mentions how she felt as though celebrating at all was a betrayal in itself. Towards the end of her article, she makes what I believe to be a very important observation about the pandemic. Isabella says, “Since March, my life has become less about managing expectations and more about not knowing what to expect at all. While I loathe uncertainty, I’ve found comfort in taking a step back, being grateful for what I have, and knowing that things are so crazy and ever-evolving that I just can’t expect anything at all.” The idea of living in the moment and being grateful for what you have is one of the most important lessons we can all take away from this pandemic experience, 21st birthday edition or not. This collection item demonstrates something significant about my generation under COVID. Learning that unexpected changes are not the end of the world and making the right decisions for the safety of you and others was a huge thing 1999 babies were faced with this year. -
2020-11
What Keeps Me Sane
Between working in a grocery store, and doing class work, I find myself busy and often stressed. I am lucky enough to have a partner, two cats and other luxuries that help me relax and relieve my anxieties. I included an older picture of myself and my partner, my switch, and my cats Wobbles (grey) and Jade (black). Having these distractions in my life have definitely made the pandemic a little more manageable. These things, along with my partner, help me count my blessings and appreciate what I have and have been able to hold on to during these anxious and stressful times. -
2020-04-11
Putting the Pieces Together
When quarantine struck my family, my brother came home from Illinois State University due to safety reasons. Once he came home, my family started to play tons of board games and watched tons of movies just to spend time together. This was a rare moment as we haven't been living together as a family since my brother moved out, so it was a special time for all of us. This was a fun time for all of us because we got to come together as a family for the first time in a long time. -
2020-08-10
Going in Blind
Throughout this pandemic, one of the hardest hit groups of people in terms of how much the community wide lock down halted life for the time being, were high school seniors. This picture was taken as a replacement for what prom photos would have been in May. While this might come off as a shallow thing to place importance on, these prom photos we took mean more than just trying to reclaim the high school experience. Of the girls in this photo, four of us are now college freshmen. In our last few weeks together we took every opportunity to get together for lunches, dinner, or drive in movies, things that we took for granted pre-covid. As a result, the pandemic has ingrained in me a very important principle to have: live as presently as you can. I can honestly say that my best friends and I are closer than we ever could have been had our high school experiences not been put on pause for six months. I appreciate their company more, and I believe wholeheartedly that our experiences apart, and subsequently together, have strengthened our bond for good. -
2020-07-09
New Car!
Throughout the pandemic, I needed assistance. I had to rely on other people for the things that I needed. Through God's grace, savings, and unemployment assistance, I got my new car! I would've never imagines i qould get my car during a global pandemic, but i am so grateful! -
2020-05-31
Coronary Diaries
My quarantine experience consists of online classes and assignments and I couldn't be more grateful. Online classes and assignments only take out a percentage of my day and after that I am free to do whatever I want. I'm grateful that all I have to do is homework because there are front line workers that are facing the very danger that has kept us inside. Their days are long and fearful while mine are in front of a screen.