Dear COVID-19,

You will not win.

It seems like everywhere I turn, our society is stricken by fear and panic. It started off as distant news coming from other countries, like China and Italy. It was tragic and a little scary but it didn't feel like it would directly affect us, or at least it didn't to me. I will admit, about a month ago, I would've NEVER imagined we would be in the position we are in now. As a senior in college, this was supposed to be my semester. I planned my entire class schedule since freshman year to have an awesome spring semester, full of amazing memories with my gals and spending time for myself. It seemed like FINALLY all of my time wouldn't be spent inside the 4 walls of the library.

I thought the endless nights of tear-filled study sessions and stressful clinical days wouldn't matter. We finally would be able to enjoy the beautiful spring weather. We finally could explore all the amazing things our little college town had to offer.

Then, the cancellations started happening.

Certain things seemed to be upsetting at first...the concerts we were supposed to attend, new restaurants we wanted to try & hikes we wanted to take. Then came new grocery store regulations and hours. The closing of non-essential businesses. Every day more and more things were affected. For me, the sentiment of the official nursing pinning ceremony, graduation, and my commissioning into the United States Army were affected.

For others, weddings were canceled, funerals, baptisms, births...the list goes on.

So selfishly, I'm furious at coronavirus. I'm heartbroken. I feel like some of the best months of my college career were taken away and that isn't fair. I was starting to feel bad for experiencing these emotions because other people were suffering in much deeper ways. People are unemployed and cannot support their families. People are losing their homes. People are suffering from mental health issues without resources. People are battling addiction without their weekly access to a supportive rehabilitation group or AA.

Mothers are given no choice but to endure childbirth without their partner or family members to hold their hand. Nurses, doctors, PAs, NPs, respiratory therapists, food service workers, speech pathologists, nutritionists and essential business employees are entering work petrified for what that shift will bestow upon them. The list could go on. People are dying.

So while my struggles may not be life-threatening, they are still valid emotions.

It's OK to be upset about the things that are being affected for you because of this horrible pandemic. However, it is important to find a balance between the negative and the positive aspects of all this.

While I would do anything in my power to make this frightful virus disappear and have life return to "normal", I do not believe "normal" is what our world needs to return to. I think we can do much, much better than normal. I think this pandemic has the ability to teach us a lot about ourselves, each other and what we can contribute to everyday life. I, personally, will never take for granted the opportunity to smile at a stranger walking down the grocery store aisle and having my smile be visible, instead of covered up by an uncomfortable, cheap mask. I will never take for granted a handshake from a perfect stranger. I will never take for granted being able to hug my friends. I will never take for granted being able to go to the gym or browse the aisles of Target. I will never take for granted sitting on my grandmother's couch and sharing a laugh. I will never take for granted sitting around the kitchen table and sharing "the best part of our day" with my mom, dad and brother.

II challenge you to find your contribution to making our world return to not just "normal," but better than normal.

I hope that this time in quarantine provides you with some extra time to really learn. I hope you learn more about your family and have meaningful conversations that were neglected by the fast pace we have been living in. I hope you learn more about basic human interaction and how much kind gestures to your neighbors, friends and even total strangers can move mountains. Most of all, I hope you learn more about yourself. I hope you learn new ways to cope with unimaginable stressors. I hope you learn how to appreciate the little things in life. I hope you learn how strong you are. I hope you learn to focus on something positive in every single day we are blessed with.

So, coronavirus, you may have taken away the "normalcy" of life.

You may think you have stripped us from almost everything that we looked forward to in these upcoming months but know this: we will come back stronger. I truly believe we will find something better than "normal". We will come back more united and more conscious of how we treat each other. We will come back with a new outlook on life. We will come back resilient and able to overcome struggles we never believed we were capable of pushing past. You will not take that away from us, COVID-19, I can promise you that. So, please remember everyone is struggling in their own way. Be kind to each other - we are all doing the best we can.

I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. Wash your hands and stay home.

Thank you for reading. This article is my personal views and ideas. This in no way reflects the university I attend or the organizations I am apart of.