You are probably wondering how we got here. About two weeks ago, I was preparing for the clinic portion of my massage therapy program here at Madison College. I was so elated to be in the final strides to becoming a massage therapist, as this was the accumulation of all the hard work my classmates and I committed to over the past year. The tears we shed together and the many hugs and words of advice shared over our time together had all built up to this. We almost made it! 

But now having our graduation cancelled, and clinic pushed to the summertime, that excitement has now been put on pause. Even though I am so grateful for what Madison College has done for students of all backgrounds, and how important the decisions they had to make regarding closing the school were, it is still hard to grasp still that my present situation has been changed and it is completely out of my control. 

The first week of my self-isolation, I started to fall back into negative habits. Being stuck in my room with the news blasting from the living room, hearing that the number of cases are rising, how many people were dying–it truly did not feel real. I am constantly worrying about my mom, as she does not take stress like this easily. My grandma is stuck in her house all alone two hours away, and I cannot go see her, for her own safety. Having my graduation cancelled and the course of plans for my entire year changed is a problem for me, but I cannot even comprehend the pain people are facing who have lost someone to this virus or are struggling with it themselves. 

Self-isolation itself is something I am familiar with already, but now I am in a different time in my life where I do not want to isolate, although I understand how important it truly is to stay home right now. It is disappointing to see people not going by the CDC guidelines, further risking their loved ones and others’ loved ones. I need everyone to stop living it up in Miami with their friends not caring about anyone else, so that I can actually hug my own friends soon. 

This pandemic has been hard on everyone, but isolation does not mean you have to be alone. In fact, I think I have been more in touch with friends and family than I normally am. Even though the circumstances are awful and terrifying, I want to try and better myself and create a healthy routine with all this free time I have.

I start online classes this week, and I am so excited to see my classmates’ lovely faces even if it is through a computer screen. I just want everything to feel normal again. So make sure to support and respect those on the front lines helping everything stay in order. Healthcare workers, restaurant workers, grocery store workers, farmers, janitorial staff, and caregivers all deserve respect in these times and truly have always been essential. But most importantly, treat everyone with love and kindness as much as you can, and stay inside.