Ah yes, we all have the long, hopeful story of how we grew over the past 2 years. The B.C. (Before Corona) you, the Mid-Corona you, and the Post-Corona you, if we ever get there. Here’s hoping. Blended in with hope and positivity is, of course, tragedy. I myself have felt a bit of this, as many beloved people to me have died in this quarantine. My cousin, the son of my dad’s sister, fell victim to COVID-19 about 6 months ago, followed by my grandmother’s cousin and, not too long after, my mom’s aunt. And that’s just my relatives. There seemed to be a funeral every week throughout the span of time between July and December 2020. With that much death and sorrow surrounding us, I and my family needed some positivity, and boy did we get it. On September 2nd, 2020, we were blessed with the birth of my youngest sister, Sihaam. A blessing until I get annoyed with her, anyway. I jest. She is the best thing to have happened to us in the last 3 years, and the peak and highlight of this pandemic that held us captive for far too long.

And…the future. If I gained nothing positive from this pandemic, at least I learned some lessons about what to expect moving on. I despised 2019 mostly for the deaths of Juice WRLD and Cameron Boyce and swore that 2020 would be better, kickstarting a 2-year jinx of our lives. But I digress from this scandalous assumption. I learned one very valuable aspect of life from my time in quarantine and seemingly eternal boredom. This was my realization during my 2-year long quarantine, that I had taken life for granted. As I lay in bed wishing I could go out to play basketball, watch a movie, go to Six Flags, heck just go walk, I felt handicapped in my own world. I swore to myself at that moment that for the rest of my life, I would enjoy every moment, every smile, every laugh, every blink, every breath. I would never again let a moment pass by without reflecting on it and the impact it would have then and in the future. I would see the future for what it truly is: a chance to rebirth yourself, a chance to redo your past and change it to the best you can. Here’s to the future.