By Sue Baldani

During the height of COVID and being quarantined, we were anxious and scared. Without a doubt, it was a very difficult time.

However, I believe some positive things happened during this period too that we can be thankful about. We were able to slow down and spend time with our immediate families. With restaurants closed, more people were able to improve and expand on  their culinary skills. Bread baking became so popular that supermarkets ran out of yeast! Other hobbies, such as knitting, crocheting, or playing an instrument were also explored and sometimes mastered.  

Children and teenagers didn’t have any place to go, and families once again sat down to dinner and spent time having conversations around the kitchen table. With movie theaters, bowling alleys, and other entertainment venues closed, a lot of us found enjoyment in simple pleasures such as reading, building jigsaw puzzles, and playing board games.

The world stopped spinning for a while and people were able to slow down along with it. It may have been a forced opportunity, but it was an opportunity no less. It also reminded us to be thankful for our health, our families, and our cherished friendships. None of these treasures should ever be taken for granted.

Now that things are opening up again, I hope we don’t lose that sense of family, the importance of being together, and the pleasure of getting lost in a book or in playing a game. Let’s hold on to some of those quarantine habits, and when our lives once again seem to be speeding by, let’s remind ourselves to slow down, take a breath, and come together once again.

Written for The Country Register newspapers published throughout the U.S.