Five Years Post-Covid

This month I've been reflecting on life since March 2020 when the corona virus took the world by storm. I think it's safe to say everyone's lives changed in various ways. Hard to believe it's been 5 years! 

For my own family, I'm not sure if these changes would have evolved naturally due to our phases of life, but I do think the pandemic played a role. Below are some of my reflections on what's changed for us.

1. Cam gained independence.

Cam was 4.5 years old in March 2020. I always say that parenting him before this age feels blurry, but everything after this age feels vivid. When the world shut down, we went from hurried days at work/daycare to slow-paced days at home. 

We took a memorable family vacation to the Florida Keys right as the corona confusion began to set in. Our trip was the weekend before the panic. I remember this as one of our best family vacations. Cam was becoming his own unique person. He felt more like a travel companion versus a travel burden. Not that he has ever been a burden, but this trip in no way felt like extra work. No strollers, diapers, tantrums, nap times. 

I still feel this way now - I truly enjoy spending time with him.

When Covid happened, my office closed and so did day care. I had unrealistic expectations that I would spend time each day homeschooling. That never happened! Instead, he mostly played outside unsupervised and this was the age where he started playing more with the kids next door. Many days we were working from home but - since we had no childcare - he was left to fend for himself. It helped that the neighbors bought a huge inflatable water slide and that all the neighbors were home too. It felt safe to let him roam freely. Now when we're home, he is constantly playing outside. I am so thankful for this as a parent!

2. Our marriage and family unit became stronger. 

From what I've heard, Covid seemed to make-or-break many relationships. Thankfully for us, more togetherness resulted in our marriage improving. I don't remember being annoyed we had to spend so much time together when our work places and restaurants were closed. I even think it prompted more open discussions where we shared our thoughts on topics such as fear, politics, mask requirements, vaccines, etc. More togetherness was definitely a good thing.

3. I got off social media.

This is the year I deleted Facebook and Instagram. Not sure if it was Covid-prompted, but 2020 was a turning point and I've never looked back.

4. We began using our dining room regularly. 

This is a weird one, but I've always been cognizant of this change. Before Covid, we used our dining room for special dinners, such as Thanksgiving, and my annual Christmas puzzle. Post-Covid, our dining room is a place where we regularly play board games and do more puzzles throughout the year. I can confidently say we now use every room in our house regularly and with purpose, which feels like a win. 

5. I lost my work identity. 

This is my only reflection that feels both good and bad. For the decade prior to Covid, I worked for the CFO and essentially ran an office of 115 employees. We were one big work family - drama and all! Every day felt like it could have been an episode of The Office. Covid coincided with my boss's retirement and everyone began working from home. At first we thought it was temporary, but there was never a "return to the office." In many ways, this was a blessing. The commute had been slowly killing me and I was ready for something different. Eventually I went back to the office most days by choice (there was way less traffic!), but I spent the next few years working in an empty building. I worked two years for a remote CFO followed by a year with no CFO. 

It wasn't until Covid that I realized how much fun we had been having. You don't know what you have 'til it's gone.

Much of my identity is tied to my job. I don't think of that as a bad thing. In fact, most of us will spend 1/3 of our life at work, so of course it's a huge part of our identity. I recently switched careers at Duke and now spend 4 days working from home. While it fits my life right now and provides a lot of advantages, this is one area where I feel like Covid resulted in a loss, not only for me but for everyone. My work life has seen a permanent change. I mourn the loss, but also have excitement for the future possibilities.