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  2020-09-29

  An Object In Motion

  Newton's first law of motion states that an object in motion will remain in motion unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. I consider myself an object in motion without a doubt. As long as I can remember I have been involved in so much that I really don't get periods of rest, and I prefer it. I'm at my happiest when busy, and between full time college, a part time job, and too many extracurricular interests to count, I've definitely achieved that. So March 13th, 2020, also known as the day the United States came to a general halt, had a deep impact on my mental health. Unable to go to school, or work, or see my closest friends, I spent many nights crying. Both from the uncertainty of what laid ahead, but also the toll this unplanned isolation had taken. My saving grace in the early days was my dad. He had officially retired just days before, and having him at home with me made a difference I really couldn't have predicted. I had never really spent an extended amount of alone time with my dad, not for any particular reason, it was just never what we did. Finding ourselves home for who knows how long, we starting finding activities we could do together. We went on boat rides, canoeing, and did household work together. The project that meant the most though is the photograph I have attached. This desk was made by my paternal great grandfather in 1945, and had definitely seen better days. My dad and I spent three weeks in our garage refurbishing it, and honestly, its unrecognizable from when we received it. I don't want to be misconstrued that the time we spent holed up wasn't generally awful, because boy it was. But this involuntary confinement made me realize just how lucky I truly am to have people like my dad in my life. Covid has brought a lot of bad, more than we thought it would back in March. But I believe it is just as important to acknowledge the good it has brought, The relationships we've kindled through the strife. *Photograph, taken by me