If covid hadn’t have happened I … [fill in the gap]

[madamura]

I wouldn’t be in the job I’m in today.

I live in a city where the pay is not good. Now because hybrid working is such a huge thing I can work in a different city.

I wouldn’t be retired

I wouldn’t be on sertraline

I would be more well travelled

I wouldn’t have paid out of pocket for something I couldn’t use

My DD would have friends.

I wouldn't be in the amazing job I'm in now.

And wouldn't be able to wfh.

I wouldn't be in the job I am, I went on a date with a guy who had been furloughed (he was a pilot) and everything went from there. I would probably have never met him had he not been furloughed so I would never have even looked at the company I now work for (best move I made).

My father won't have lost his social life and independence and aged so quickly.

My stepdaughter's mother would still be alive and enjoying time with her Granddaughter.

My mother won't have spent 5 weeks in hospital without seeing any family visitors.

I'm so sorry for you and others with similar losses. I agree, it seems distasteful to hear about great jobs and wfh.
I also know lots of people who didn't get furlough and who struggled hugely.

We wouldn't have a successful business.

Would have had my brain surgeries with my husband by my side.

But we weren't allowed visitors and I did it by myself. I surprised myself with how strong I was, with how well I coped and how independent it made me. It revealed an inner strength I didn't know I had and I'm forever grateful

Might have made mum friends in our new city when D2 was a baby

i'd be living in Sweden not the UK. Hubby had to come back to work for government during pandemic and could not re-get a job there.

Failed my professional exams

We had our australia holiday cancelled too. Dont think i will ever get there now.

I would probably have a living child and not have had a mental breakdown at work

Have the good mental health I do
Have had a great career change
Be working reduced hours
Have my dog
Be as happy as I am.

I'm grateful that COVID was so positively life changing for me.

Would never have started anti depressants which have been honestly life changing for me (started them due to extreme depression during Covid, I am a nurse, they really did help)

would never have thought ‘fuck it’ and live for the moment.. which lead to us having our third baby and she is such a total joy and my little sidekick

I’m not sure if I understand correctly but if you lost a child to Covid I am so very sorry x

I might still be married to the father of my children

Would still have my partner, he died of a heart attack after having Covid and never recovering properly.

Would have seen my brother before he died.
Would have had Christmas in the arctic circle
Wouldn't have a DH who is so hands on with his kids as he's spent so much time with them rather than at the office
Probably wouldn't be WFH and have such a brilliant work life balance
Wouldn't have a collection of reusable facemasks still hanging by the front door gathering dust
Wouldn't be checking with everyone pre play dates/school/nursery that it was okay to turn up with the slightest sniffle rather than isolating for 14 days. . .
Would be at least a stone lighter because I'd still be cycling to work rather than walking 10ft to my desk 😂

Would not have had my health wrecked by Long Covid....

Would not have been allowed to wfh (much prefer that altho do choose to go into the office once a week nowadays
Would not have had the garden sorted
My mum would have seen her grandchildren more (my brother, sister and I did visit as it was end of life care but she became very scared, believed everything the government said and wouldn't even go out of her front door into the street, despite there not being anyone there! And it made her too scared to see the grandchildren).
Sadly I lost my mum earlier this year - not covid related.
My mother-in-law would have had a better send off, not the limited affair we were forced to have, bless her.
Our buffet place Za Za Bazaar would still be open.
There would be more places that didn't allow dogs still around, not just Wetherspoons, MacDonalds and the odd shopping centre.

Would have still be in a job in a toxic workplace where all of the senior managers "worked from home" and left us to do the actual work without support and without acknowledging how difficult it actually was. I left soon afterwards and instead have a job in a wonderful workplace, with lovely colleagues and managers even though the money is much less. My stress levels have reduced and I no longer work weekends, bank holidays, 24 hour shifts etc etc

I would have been able to get back from abroad to see my beloved mum before she died.

My daughter would have met her granny in real life instead of just via a screen.

Covid had a terrible impact on my life in ways that I don't think I'll ever fully get over.

Where to start?
I would not have had a full blown work induced burnout breakdown due to the pressure to keep a long term project that was massively impacted by people not being able to go out on track.
I wouldn't have needed to be able to access MH support. My H wouldn't have had his own crisis from trying to look after me and his own career in parallel. The knock on consequences all over the place, for me, our kids, our families are still ongoing now.

My husband wouldn’t continually be battling the unrecognised effects of long covid vaccine damage
hospital visits are endless and exhausting