The dreaded C word

There may be a few "C" words that came to mind when you read the title. But only one became part of our vocabulary in 2020 and truly changed life as we knew it. Yep, I'm talking about Covid...

Now over two years in, I think back to the times pre-Covid and often think to myself that there were so many things I took for granted that I never even realized. We were getting ready to take a trip to New Orleans for the first time and I was so looking forward to checking out the Big Easy. We also literally spent the weekend before everything got shut down in BG with some of our friends, at the time having no idea that it would be our last weekend out in who knows how long.

All of a sudden, we had officially entered the pandemic. Stay at home orders, the toilet paper shortage, Tiger King, masks, cancelled plans, sickness, and sadly for many, death. There was also panic, fear, chaos, doubt, uncertainty and a wide-range of other emotions that I am sure many people dealt with on a daily basis. Darren was put on furlough and for the first time had to collect unemployment. We were in uncharted waters and had no idea how long it would take for things to go "back to normal" or if it ever would.

What I did know without a doubt during that time (and still to this day) was that I was extremely grateful for 3 main things:

1. The health of myself and my loved ones

2. Having a work-from-home job (before it was the cool thing to do! I had transitioned to WAH the fall before Covid, so that was something I had already adjusted to)

3. That Darren and I didn't have kids

Of course all three of these are major talking points, but since this is a #childfree blog, we are going to focus on the third topic.

Darren and I were already pretty certain that we were not going to have kids and then Covid helped seal the deal on that decision for both of us. Now before you say, "but Holly, something like Covid doesn't happen all the time" I am going to ask you to consider the craziness that this world has become. I feel like we are living in Jumanji right now and I honestly would not be shocked by anything in the pipeline that is still "to come"

On top of worrying about the infection itself, parents were having to home-school their kids because schools closed down. Daycare centers were short-staffed or had to close because of exposure causing parents to scramble for childcare. Sporting events, graduations, proms, weddings and other major milestones were cancelled and I couldn't help but think how hard all of that had to be for not just the kids or anyone impacted by it, but also the parents. Talk about a huge interruption into everyday life! Thinking about having to juggle work while also teaching a kid was enough to make me want to pull my hair out, and I didn't even have to do it! You would not want to see me try and explain math to someone, trust me!

They say kids are resilient, and I sure hope that is true. There is an entire generation that will look back and say, "I lived through that". History and science books are being changed right before our very eyes and WE have seen it first-hand. Covid has touched every single one of our lives whether we want to admit it or not. Some have dealt with the heartache of losing a loved one because of it. Some have lost their jobs and livelihood and are experiencing financial hardships. Some are still dealing with the long-term effects of the illness wrecking havoc on their body. Some are just thankful to be able to leave their house and have in-person connection with others again.

This post isn't meant to be political or controversial. It isn't about masks, vaccines, or how the pandemic was handled. With the constant changes thrown at us regarding Covid, not having a kid to worry about the last few years has been one less stress to deal with. From my perspective and experience, all I can say is that although it wasn't fun or easy to go through, I am absolutely certain that there was no better time to be #childfree.

Stay healthy and please keep washing your hands... because that's just good hygiene regardless!

-Holly