Past self,

You’re going to question yourself. You’re going to question what feels like everything and everyone in the entire world. At times it will feel as though your mind is screaming into an echoing canyon that can’t help but blast your very own words back at you. The life we have been accustomed to until this point is gone. Life’s next chapter starts with the pandemic.

For at least the next twelve months, countless occurrences in public society and our personal world are going to hand us new challenges. Unlike the rest of our lives pre-pandemic, asking for help and connecting to friends, family, teachers and peers is not going to be as simple. Hearing and seeing a person through a screen doesn’t provide the same satisfaction as hugging our close friends. The people that are important to us stay that way as long as we make an effort.

We get stronger from our struggle. In many ways, we are made to evolve. We may not get as much work done as everyone thought we would with so much time at home. However, we are able to work on ourselves. Living without so many distractions, even though we get great joy from them, gives us the opportunity to get to know ourselves. 2020 is commonly referred to as the worst year of our lives. It’s true. Silver linings still exhaust though. As much as they may seem minuscule in comparison to all of the bad things that happen, in some way there is good.

Look for the positives when possible and enjoy the opportunities this time gives us, and in times of hurt and pain, it’s alright to ask for help.