Honestly, before the quarantine, I felt like I was drowning. I had so many obligations to fulfill and places to be. I felt like I was going a million miles a second. Every second spent not doing anything was a second wasted. Quarantine has given me time to do nothing. It slowed down my chaotic life, and honestly I am thankful for that.

I hope this letter will remind you of the importance of those people closest to you and the memories you make with them.

Quarantine hit like a flash. We were all dismissed from class, excited, and thinking that school was over early. That was definitely not the case. One minute I was in school, the next I was doing work from home.

When you think ahead into your future you never can imagine something like what you went through in 2020. I never could even comprehend the fact that you would be taking classes from home for two months and be alone besides the few interactions with family each day.

I should be happy about the moments I have with the people around me, cherish the present instead of wishing for the future, and see every moment in life as something I get to do rather than something I have to do.

We’re all struggling now, but I can’t wait to get out of this pickle as soon as possible. Please don’t forget what you were a part of. After all, you will need stories to tell your kids and grandkids. Why not start here?

You might remember this time as either the era of online classes or relaxation in a seemingly never-ending period of homebodies in solitude. However, as a junior at St. Xavier High School, I have spent much of this time in deep reflection of the world around me and the purpose for which I drive incessantly through life.

It is easier to dominate this isolation with the support of those you care about.

What I thought would be a dream come true has turned into an absolute nightmare.

Circumstances like these could have stopped the education system in its tracks; two or three decades ago, it would have. But in 2020, St. X was already prepared to withstand this type of threat through online schooling.

I feel like while there has been division and disparity during these uncertain times, the biggest take away for generations to come will be with how people came together and put aside their difference to protect the good of the nation and even the world.

As I observe the world around me during one of the strangest times in history, I can’t help but imagine what will be written about it in the history books in the next 100 years.