Often, people tend to talk about the subpar end of a situation. And occasionally, I would agree, especially with the position that we are currently in. The COVID-19 pandemic has been rough for everyone, no matter their age or condition. Students have had to convert to online school, and many adults have had to work from home. Many have even lost their jobs. However, with the dark of a situation, there always comes a side of light. Have you ever taken a moment to think about the good?  

  While terrible things have happened for plenty, there have been some positive outcomes for people of all ages as well.    

  I know that, for me, the quarantine was a time of self-discovery and growth. Being kept away from socializing face-to-face was unfortunate, but I learned so many new things about myself as a person. I drifted in and out of different interests and strengthened those that I already had. I even picked up a couple of my own unique skills – I practiced new mediums of art, and I tried to learn how to animate.   

  I asked a few peers from different locations around the continent to provide me their input on the situation, and this is what they had to say.  

Julian – Grade 9  

  While people say that quarantine is all negative, I think that there have been some positives. Thanks to this, I truly thought about what’s happening in the outside world, and how I take things for granted. If anything, quarantine made me mature in a way. But that doesn’t mean I got miserable from it. If anything, it truly made me feel grateful for my friends, because we are all in this together, and we will get through this together. We shared our experiences and our feelings on everything, and that made quarantine much more enjoyable. I learned new things in life; I believe without the quarantine, I might have never known these things or learned them later. They are the reason I have the motivation to get through this.  

Ace – Grade 10  

The positive effects on me during the lockdown are more accessibility for socializing and working my interactive skill towards that. I have never really felt alone during the lockdown because of my friends on the internet. I enjoy the way it is. Speaking and having full-on conversations with my friends isn’t only fun, but is also a way for me to get to know them more. I believe that this positive emotional and mental feedback that I received from this is indeed worth all the troubles Covid-19 caused around the world.  

Lee – Grade 12   

During this pandemic, while it’s been chaotic, I have had some great opportunities come out of it. Because of online school, there has been more time to do activities I like such as cosplaying, drawing, or playing my flute. Having more time for myself has helped me improve my mental health, since it had severely declined earlier in the pandemic. I have even picked up new hobbies like learning the ocarina and how to build my own PC. So I can start gaming. The pandemic has also allowed a lot of self-reflection on myself and how I present myself. It helped me realize who I am and who I want to be. I have become a lot more confident in what I wear and how I look. Overall, while the pandemic and quarantine may seem suffocating, when you take time to breathe and adjust, you can discover some positives from this situation.  

So, what exactly should one take away from an experience like the one that we went through over the past year (and that we’re still in the midst of now?)  

Yes, it is imperative to stay aware of the current situation and realize that it is not a good one. The quarantine had plenty of adverse effects on everyone, in both physical and mental health.   

However, taking a step back to look on the bright side of things can truly change everything for the better. When things go wrong, it is crucial to remember that life will throw you another upside soon. With what is happening right now, it might seem painful at the moment, but with every storm comes a rainbow. Things will pass; living life will feel better than it ever has been before.  

And hey – COVID vaccines are being distributed now! Our ordinary lives are right around the corner.   

★