Now the COVID pandemic is gone, What are your worst, or best, memories?

[Alondra]

I was talking to my eldest son today and we somehow ended up talking about the worst moments we lived trough Covid. For me, the worst was living in Australia with DH and our two youngest, while he was in Madrid. I was beside myself with worry knowing we couldn't do anything. Zoom helped.....but only for a short while. I've never had as many sleepless nights as I had then.

For my eldest, being in a complete lockdown in a 60 square metre apartment without us or knowing what the future would be, was his worst. He did mention as a positive that he now knows most of his neighbours and is close friends with several, something it wouldn't have happened before lockdowns. :)

From the distance now, what are the things you won't forget, good or bad?

Like Sam Smith, photographed crying on the steps of his mansion, complete with swimming pool, while there were families with multiple children in cramped, high rise flats around the corner.

The only thing that made me smile/laugh throughout the whole pandemic & lockdowns was the Colin vs Cuthbert caterpillar cakes 😆

We had a really good lockdown compared to most, are extremely rural so it was fine and we had loads of fun times, got loads done etc. My mum has always had health issues where we had to go weeks not seeing her as a cold could put her in hospital so that wasn't a big deal and I think she appreciated people being away from her(!)

Bad things myself and dh argued a lot when it came time to return to school and that was the first thing we'd ever argued on and we literally had fights daily when dh heard of kids coughing in school etc and was saying about taking the kids out again. I also missed my best friend's mum's funeral and I still think about it. Some of my friends broke lockdown to park at the church and wave to her, I live hours away and rang her to say I wouldn't make it. Horrible. Also the news. That gloom at nighttime as we watched the Italian morgues full and a whole generation dying. People being left in nursing homes to die. In Asia people being locked into their apartments. (Shudders)

I look back on my time at home with my ds's as a happy time. My twins became really close spending most days in the garden building dens and turning the shed into a playroom. I'm a lone parent so was very lucky to be furloughed. We cooked together most night and became really close. Homeschooling was quite fun as the ds's were only 7.

It all seems like madness now. Not being able to sit on a park bench and people getting irate if you climbed over a stile and touched a gate on your boring daily walk. Taped off kids play parks. People disinfecting their shopping and leaving the post for 24 hours before opening it. One way systems in supermarkets. The bloody stupid clapping on a Thursday. The Captain Tom madness. The ridiculous calls from the Covid enforcers if you had Covid to warn you it was against the law to leave your house for 10 days.

The best: the quietness and people finally living at my speed. (My life didn’t change during lockdowns)

The worst: people thinking the epidemic is finished and not taking any of the vulnerable people around them into consideration.

Worst is the impact on my son. Had no children to socialise with and became highly anxious as a result of the restrictions. We're still dealing with the fallout.

I'm struggling to think of a 'best thing'. Was trying to work in a pressured job and home-school a SEND child so didn't find it easy. I was just very very grateful that we all got through Covid without hospitalisation. That my cousin, who was a nurse on a high dependency unit and absolutely saw the worst of it, didn't catch Covid until much later stages of pandemic and post-vaccination. I was grateful for the unseasonably good weather in Spring 2020 - being able to let DS out in the garden for much of the day helped combat the cabin fever.

worst: hearing from my single friend mum how she couldn't go to the supermarket for milk or eggs because kids were not allowed in supermarkets. Then, in the supermarket, seeing adults buying only non essential items like plants. (I know....plants are essential but not in the same way that food for a 5 year old is). Or two adults (eg a couple) going shopping together. Why was that ok and not a single mum and a child??

Best: Having all my student aged kids home

although really the worst was my dh actually being hospitalised with covid, and me suffering (minor but very annoying) long term effects of covid.

The best thing for us was the start of wfh. Neither DH nor I used to wfh before Covid, and now we both do quite often. It seems silly now to think of commuting five days a week!

The worst was that my DC (pre-teen / teens) missed out on some things. I don't think it had a negative impact on them though - they all seem fine now.

Same really

Live rurally, my work didn't change at all, socialisation didn't change at all - so life rolled on, it was a glorious summer.

Of course, sadly, many didn't have such a nice time.

@User2346

Why do you still have to shield? Covid is here to stay are you planning to do this forever?

Covid killed 2 close relatives and would probably kill me as well. Their deaths were awful. I have to shield because selfish pricks still spread it, even when they know they have it they don't stay away from people.

I was very lucky that I had a good lockdown and nobody close to me was affected. I had two months of furlough in the sunshine, no visitors, it was heaven. I really appreciated the quiet and the down time.

but there is no longer testing required

To be fair @CwmYoy most people are still required to go into work with covid now anyway so couldn't really stay away from people if they tried.

Testing is no longer required and you are meant to go to work or school if you feel well enough. Sad as it is if everyone were to self isolate like you seem to think they should then society would break down. Our young people will be picking up the tabs for years and they have suffered enough for a virus that is harmless to the vast majority. Did you used to shield every winter flu season pre covid?

My worst was working in a high street bank and people treating it like a day out because we was open. “Can I book a savings review?” Absolutely not! The general public were absolutely vile to say the least.

The best part was the peaceful skies - I felt like because there was no planes in the sky it somehow turned them really peaceful.

Best - ds was in exam years and I am so proud of how he managed that period of broken learning and independently studying. Adapting and keeping in touch with friends and keeping fit.

Worst - Listening to people whinge over minor, temporary, manageable inconviences while others suffered real, unthinkable trauma.

For me, life went on fairly normally, work- retail, so open all the way through. Retail workers were expendable 🤔
socially - it was a break from my usual hobbies but not particularly onerous

the negative - dog training/ groups cancelled, so my young dog missed some socialisation. We got her shortly before the pandemic started.

Legacy -
I'm more sceptical, due to decisions made and contrary rules. BUT

I also have to listen daily to all the conspiracy stuff from a colleague. Someone falls ill? Were they vaccinated? Vaccines are intended to kill, idiots and stupid got vaccinated. Weather was brilliant as a result of the government being unable to spray with chemicals.. and so on..its monotonous.
I'm more questioning and sceptical, but not a CT, and I roll my eyes daily.

Worst: working almost 24/7 (key worker) whilst having to home school at the same time. Having to see people who were furloughed with months off wanging on about how wonderful it was that they could bake cupcakes and take up yoga/watch Netflix all day long and how they wished lockdown would go on forever. (no- fck off)

Best: Life became more simple and it really distilled the importance to me of spending time with family and the freedom that we usually take for granted. I also really loved spending time in nature and how good it was for my mental health and have continued this.

I worked in a hospital throughout. Amongst many many awful things (and anaesthetics /CotE / ITU had it much worse than me) was being late for work because there were so many private ambulances accessing the morgue that the site and surrounding streets were gridlocked.

Most companies now treat covid as usual illness and employees are subject to disciplinary action if they exceed instances/ days off. Most people cannot afford to lose jobs, so going in if they still have a pulse is required!

I had to go into work everyday due to my type of job and the roads were so quiet, it was like being back in the 1960's. I could also go wherever I wanted as long as I had my uniform on and the countryside came alive.
There were animals around that never usually roamed freely or near humans. It was magical. I could get out near a river and just breathe, no noise, no cars, just the birds and the wind in the trees.
Made me realise how over populated we are and wish for simpler times.

Even if you are an NHS worker you have to go into work on the wards and clinics with covid or you get disciplined. You don't even have to wear a mask. Of course everyone does. i can't afford to lose my job over this although luckily I've never had covid.

The worst was my dad being very will with covid, on a ventilator for 5 weeks in another country (though I suppose I wouldn't have been able to visit him anyway so being in another country didn't make such a difference in that case, but I hated that I couldn't be there for my mum) though thankfully he survived.

Best was seeing the video of my dad returning home from the hospital, with neighbours clapping and cheering from the road as he arrived.

Lockdown wasn't so bad for me in my country, I had one child home from school for a few months but her school handled distance learning really well right from the start, and my other child was a toddler and probably benefitted from having his big sister around to play with more, and I was at home anyway back then so no difference to me. OH still went to work but was able to avoid people for the most part. So lockdown for me was mostly pleasant memories with my children, and feeling grateful I wasn't in a more strict country (no restrictions on going for walks or anything like that so we went for walks in the forest every day which was lovely). The worst thing about the time, apart from my dad's illness, was the fear. I became very very anxious about catching covid, looked into how to make sure my OH could keep custody of my DD (his step-daughter) if I died and things like that.