UNITED STATES─If there is one thing this pandemic has taught me more than anything it’s that family matters more than anything. You never realize how much you miss something or someone in this case, until you no longer have access to them. I mean this self-isolation and quarantine has placed many Americans in a predicament where they have not been able to socialize or meet with loved ones. I mean I haven’t been able to visit my father in person for nearly 8 weeks, simply because any exposure to COVID-19 could really put his health at high risk.
We have indeed chatted on the phone and texted throughout the week, but it’s not the same as speaking to someone face-to-face. The same sentiment has been echoed for many of my siblings who while scattered all over, we have talked more now than we have in the past year. Scary right? It is. It is unbelievable that it takes a crisis of this magnitude for us to realize we NEED to communicate more with family.
Of course, we all have jobs, of course we are all busy, but when you have extra time it just puts into perspective there is NO EXCUSE as to why you cannot pick up the phone or conduct a ZOOM call to talk with your loved ones. There are those who are isolated, who cannot get out the house, and just the thought of making sure they have everything they need is just extra icing on the cake in my opinion. I mean I have literally heard from family members I have not talked to or seen in years.
It just is a reminder that the older we get the more we splinter from family and we shouldn’t. Yes, we all have families of our own, but at its core family is indeed the glue that keeps most people moving. Catching up with aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, my parents and grandparents, just reminds me of how much fun we had when I was a child, a teen and young adult, reminds you how precious time is. You blink and everyone is an adult people. You start to reminisce about your past and those things that you perhaps took for granted that you now appreciate a ton more.
Perhaps the biggest thing is telling your loved ones that you love them. Yes, that 4-letter word is more important now than ever before because COVID-19 has taken the lives of thousands of Americans. More disturbing is that many loved ones died without being in the presence of their family and that is a haunting thing to hear people. Could you imagine taking your last breathe and not having any of your family around? I just cannot even fathom it and it brings tears to my eyes even thinking about it America.
What I am hoping this crisis does is remind people not to falter back into their old habits. We should not just continue communication with family, but do it more now than ever before. A phone call, a text message, a letter, a zoom call, we’re not too busy in life to take a moment to talk with family. Remember family matters more than money or any material thing in the world. What good is having everything in the world if you cannot share it with someone? We’ve all heard that phrase it’s time to put it to good use.
