That in the pandemic hasn’t all been bad

[Shiraznowplease]

I am wondering if AIBU in feeling the pandemic has not all been bad. I am aware I may get flamed and yes it has been horrendously bad in people dying, difficulties nor seeing loved ones and problems for business. But I feel for me , and talking to friends, others too it has made me/us grateful for my family and friends. It has shown me what is truly important, stopped the endless round of business trips for dh and after school/weekend activities for the children and instead we have spent quality time together playing games, cooking and enjoying one and another’s company. My Dc have seen dh more this year more than the rest of their lives combined.

I am a health professional so have worked all through the pandemic but have been grateful to have PPE, even if initially I had to source and fund it myself although the stress has been incredible, I feel I have made a real difference to my patients.

I am lucky that dh could work from home in a relatively secure job.

I have missed my parents and meeting with friends dreadfully though am thankful for zoom, FaceTime and other things so we could keep in touch.

It has also brought out, in my experience, community spirit and helping each other out.

Hello Boris.

I can just hear our glorious leader saying exactly this. "It reeeeeeeeeeally wasn't all that bad; we've now squeeeeeeeeezed the diseeeeeeeeease; if you're still alive to hear this, it's because I personally saved your life. Some of you lost your jobs, I know, but it's a sacrifice I was willing to make." Like Lord Farquaard from Shrek saying something similar.

"I'm ending restrictions now, as long as you're good; I might bring them back on my whim, at any moment, so watch it."

The younger generation will be paying for lockdown for years, if not decades, to come.

And YABU to post this outside the Coronavirus topic, where these threads should be quarantined.

I think I've had enough now. I'd like my world back

Yes. Me too.

Aside from being bored out of my skull, it's been fine for me personally. For the country as a whole it's been devastating.

agree also with the pp who said keep it to yourself. I'm a teacher in a small private school. We got online learning sorted in March, kit organised and training given. i have small classes so not overwhelmed with work. lots if cover this term but isolating teachers set work well or dial in and teach via Teams. Im very aware that this is not the norm and keep pretty quiet about it to my less fortunate colleagues in other schools. The things mentioned as upsides could happen by choice if people wanted to, more family time etc - it didnt need to take a pandemic and all the awfulness for people to get us to play board games and go for walks!

Think its fair to say that its been crap overall, but there are sometimes a couple of silver linings, ie being grateful for things slightly less busy in some respects. I'm not one for country walks and baking though, I miss proper shopper, going to the pub with friends without having to sit outside etc etc. But, I think a lot of us will be so grateful when we have those things back.

Reading some of the posts above, maybe it's too soon for threads like this?
Maybe it's like childbirth. I'm sure if you asked for the positives of childbirth mid labour you would get your arm broken.
But maybe it's something we will look back on, not fondly, but with pride, in years to come? We are a resilient species. We will survive this.

I'm with you op. I could write quite a few positives but I don't dare write it on here.

Our grandchildren will still be paying for the cost of Covid. The financial / economic consequences will be vast, never mind the loss of life. Your personal happiness may have improved but the wider context seems very bad.

Not showing much community spirit with this thread though are you.
How can you be so to be deaf?

No it's been utter shit !!

It's been awful for me. My MH has been destroyed. My office furloughed 80% of staff but expected the rest of us to pick up the slack. i have not had a single day off (including weekends and easter and bank holidays) since the first lockdown began until last Monday. I could not homeschool effectively. My oldest DS has a range of SEN issues and I simply could not support him properly while trying to keep my work going on 14 hour days. His MH has crashed also.

And my DDad has been really ill and I cannot see him as he lives a 2 hour flight away.

Well it’s been a terrible year of course but I do always try to scrabble around for at least one positive from every situation, however shitty. It does not nullify the suffering in any way.

My positives are that:

• School-hating DD has realised that she actually prefers school to the alternative and has been going without protest since they restarted.

• There has been a huge uptick in people using the forests around where we live, particularly teenagers and younger adults. The more people using and loving these spaces, the more pressure and support for the Forestry Commission to maintain them for everyone’s enjoyment.

• The realisation that some (not all!) jobs can be done well from home. Doesn’t affect us personally, but I hope it will lead to changes in the way businesses operate long term and have a positive effect on the environment.

🙅🏻‍♀️ Not for me. My mental health has plummeted. I cried at work in a class the other day for the first time ever because I just can’t take it anymore. 😭 I want to hug my mum. I want to be able to help the students at my school properly and I don’t want to fear that I could have to isolate for two weeks and only get SSP if one of my children’s bubbles pop. I’m in constant dread and can’t plan anything.

No way. I have long Covid and my DH is off work sick with stress. It’s been a horrendous time for my DDs, off school for 3 months in the spring and unable to see their DGMs or friends.

We haven’t been bereaved, thankfully, or had financial troubles, unlike millions of others around the world.

So pardon me if I can’t see anything positive right now.

YANBU for appreciating the 'benefits' you have enjoyed.

YABVVU for listing them in great detail though, rubbing it in the faces of people who have had a bloody terrible time . You know, the people whose family members have died, people who have committed suicide, lost their homes, been financially ruined....

Why cannot people just keep their boasts to themselves? or say it to the mirror so nobody will be hurt?

Good for you OP but get some perspective and sensitivity FGS.

It's not over yet.

And Brexit is about to royally screw the country up.

Worst year of my life. Partner was receiving long term chemo which was stopped in March amid a lot of confusion about whether it should be stopped at all. He had to shield, furloughed, I lost my part time job. Lots of money worries and stress about his health. No hospital appointments or even able to see a consultant on the phone. Disease returned and we don't know what the future holds now. Youngest child is autistic, the sudden lack of school routine, her own medical problems not being maintained by her hospital team and the worry of the pandemic itself. No transition up to secondary school with sen support. She crashed into a terrible depression and anxiety. She's tried to take her life twice since may. Unable to leave the house much and no help from mental health services as the waiting list is over a year long for therapy. Can't access meds for depression until she engages in therapy. Had a grandchild arrive who was unwell in special care for a time and I couldn't go comfort my daughter or see my grandchild.

Bring on 2021

yabu
thousands have died.
I have not touched my disabled adult child since march and only seen her rarely.
its been fucking awful.

I am pleased your experience of the pandemic has been so positive. I think you may have trouble convincing the mum with 3 kids on the 12 th floor of a tower block how good its been and how she should look on the bright side of thingsor the elderlylonely people who have been trapped in their homes unable to see anyone or the cancer sufferers who missed chemo treatments and diagnosis...or me evenhappily married,great kids,no money worries ina 3 bed semi with big front and back gardens and outdoor toys to keep the kids entertained forever who had to deal with a little girl so badly missing her friends at school that started to wet the bed again daily and couldnt get out of bed before lunch and couldnt get back to sleep til after midnight who had every possible device.love.care.toys,books,games that anyone could wish for to make her happy(yes she is that spoilt) but it made no difference,non of it when her mental health declined because she missed the most important things to her..human interaction with extended family and friends,who too were suffering with no food,mummy and daddy loosing their jobs and having no money for weeks on end,this has only been the start ,same parents are now battling to save thie homes and keep a roof over their heads... this is all without actually dealing with having the virus.yep all in all its been not too bad I am sure we can all agree....and so it continues....your lack of empathy and smugness is astounding OP I am sorry but glad you have escaped relatively unscarred but believe me millions havent and are battling everyday just to survive be it mentally,physically or financially....

I think that sentiment is the equivalent of saying 'yes I know the rest of the country was ravaged by a hurricane, but MY house is still standing and I've quite enjoyed not having to go into work as the building was blown away'

I’m usually a very positive person but it’s been shit. My 15yr old dd who has never had any problems was hospitalised with anorexia affecting her heart she turned into a completely different person. I’m a single mum and got reported for breaking lockdown while she was in for leaving other kids with a neighbour. As dd was only allowed one person to visit her I had to beg the other twos schools to allow them to go in so I could visit her My mental health has gone to shit and as a key worker I was seen to be skiving work even though I was caring for dd. The loneliness was awful too. I’m now having panic attacks and barely holding it together.

On the plus side we had a nice couple of walks.

The only good thing has been DH not having to commute and it's saved us money on fuel.

The rest of it - no. My kids are older and want to be hanging out with their friends not playing board games with mum and dad. Homeschooling was a total nightmare. I work freelance and have been busier than ever since about April. Two holidays cancelled. Have seen my parents twice this year, once inside. Loads of local businesses have closed, never to reopen.

But yeah, quality time with the famalam and "making memories" is sooooo worth it, hunni.

Like the virus itself there is little consistency in how individuals are affected. We are well past retirement age and realise we are fortunate in having a permanent, if limited, income. No worries about job losses which for some has been so hard.

Although we are in the more at risk group, we can choose not to go out if we wish, although I try to walk most days. A friend and I occasionally buy a takeaway coffee and walk in the park. I've hardly seen my children and grandchildren, none live locally. That's been the hardest part, but we are relieved that they are all coping reasonably well.

My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones, even if not from Covid, in worse circumstances because of it. I'm in the generation whose parents lived through at least one world war. They had very dark times, many families suffered loss, but eventually lives got back on track. I'm hoping to see a similar return to some normality, starting in 2021.

Lockdown was difficult in many ways. I was heavily pregnant, juggling a toddler and trying to homeschool three primary school aged DC. DH WFH throughout so lots of the day was spent trying to keep them quiet while he took calls (not easy) and keeping them out of the room he was in too. Some days I went to hide in my bedroom for 5 minutes and just had a cry to myself. I am a teacher but teach adults so teaching primary school children, especially being my own, was difficult to say the least. The teachers didn’t help much either so I had to make most of it up myself. Found it tough not being able to go anywhere either, even missed walking around our local NT site.

HOWEVER, it is by far the longest period we’ll ever have to spend together in our lifetime. DH will most likely never be at home for months straight again and I did appreciate having him around more. He loved the fact he got to see the DC so much and got to spend 6 weeks with our baby before returning to the workplace. We spent lots of quality time together, a particularly fond memory is watching the Harry Potter series together over the course of a week.

It wasn’t all bad for us either but I do realise how fortunate we are to have the jobs we have.