AN UNINTENDED POSITIVE CONSEQUENCE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

It got me to thinking about the Covid-19 pandemic and how it kept most of us pretty confined for the better part of 2 years. It was a terrible time and, before vaccines were developed, all of us probably knew people who became seriously disabled from the disease and some of whom died. It was an easy time to withdraw into binge watching, reading, and other solitary activities. In some ways it was a difficult time to build and maintain friendships, but – with an appropriate mindset - it was a time for thriving. For me, it was the latter.

So many groups and classes became available on Zoom and other platforms. I got involved in a couple of online groups – meeting people with similar interests whom I would likely have never met before and establishing friendships that never would have occurred if I hadn’t taken advantage of opportunities that came about as a result of the pandemic. Some have become among my best friends, and we now meet in person fairly regularly, and they have been part of my support system as I adjust to life without Libby.

Because I value good friendships generally as well as knowing what the research says about it, I try to stay aware of opportunities to meet people who share similar interests – knowing that some may evolve into friendships. Although I wish that it had not have happened that way, and I’d much rather not have had to live with the pandemic even if I would have missed out on some potential friendships, I’m happy that I stayed active and involved and learning during the pandemic.

There was an unintended but positive outcome for me in the friendship area. Given what we know about friendships and health, I encourage you to look for opportunities to make and deepen the quality of friendships – and that can happen even during challenging times.