Written by Sara (Year 11)
At the start of this pandemic and lockdown, I felt uncertain about many things.
The fact that I would not have to sit my GCSE exams was very strange and hard to comprehend. It is odd to think that in a matter of days, a shock announcement can change your future so suddenly. No longer would I have to spend countless hours revising information and detail, instead I would have to trust that I had worked hard enough these past one and half years, to achieve something wanted or deserved.
However, the cancellation of exams was also met with celebration as I would have more time to watch TV, sleep (something my peers know the value of), and most importantly, spend time with family. I could not tell you the last time we were able to sit on the sofa and watch a long film, yet here we were now, finding ourselves at the end of the day coming together and watching TV shows, documentaries, and recordings of old sports matches. It was here we learned to compromise. I knew my brother would oppose any of my heart-warming and romantic choices, even though we all know that Casablanca is possibly one of the greatest films ever produced. He was also aware of my low threshold for blood and action.
One of the things I recognised and appreciated was the fact that despite our current circumstances, I was still luckier than others. Many of my relatives and friends, such as my aunt and grandmother, were shielding due to underlying health conditions. They were perhaps even more frightened than I was about going outside, knowing that the virus could take their lives if their immune system and body were not strong enough. I also realised how fortunate we were in not having to go to the supermarket, as my father managed to get delivery or collection slots online. Unfortunately, other people weren’t so lucky. This pandemic made me more thankful and aware of all the things I am fortunate to have (even if our Wi-Fi is occasionally slow) because at the end of the day, I have a loving family and we are all safe and healthy.
However, the thing which inspired and astounded me the most was the compassion and kindness shown by so many people. People like Sir Captain Tom Moore, who raised more than £30 million for the NHS by walking laps of his garden, the one million people who offered to volunteer for the NHS, or everyone who clapped at eight o clock every Thursday evening to show their appreciation for key workers and carers. All in all, the most important lesson I learned was that we are more united and closer than we think, despite being physically apart. A little bit of love and generosity can go a long way and together we can make small, but equally important, positive differences.