My Bare Necessities

When I was growing up, my bedroom walls were covered with a mural of the characters from The Jungle Book. Boy, was I lucky to have the animals on my walls. They protected me in my sleep and kept me company when I was feeling alone.

I'm not sure when it happened, but one day, I decided it was time to part ways with my friends on the walls. I asked my dad to paint over them with my favorite shade of blue. I was becoming much too sophisticated for elephants and monkeys.

I know it broke his heart to do it. But realizing his little girl was growing up, he complied and painted my room in the way I had asked him to. Looking back now, I wish he wouldn't have.

It's not that I don't want to grow up at all. Believe me, I'd pay to be out of college and onto the next phase already. But some part of me is stuck in the past and wonders what it would be like to hang out with the characters on my wall, one last time. It also makes me realize what a hard time it must be for my parents, watching it all, and wishing they could make time slow down a bit, knowing that I'll be out from under there roof soon.

I don’t think COVID-19 could’ve hit at a better time for me. If I could choose, of course, I wouldn’t want the virus to exist and have the impact it is on the world, but the silver lining of it all is the time it is giving myself, and families like mine, to enjoy small moments. Being stuck inside, stressful and overwhelming as it is, has given me more time with my family than I have had in years. We have played board games together, enjoyed meals together, crafted together.

Without our current social distancing situation, there are things I likely wouldn't ever have the time to do with my family again. Despite the tragic circumstances surrounding our time together, I’m glad the have one last chance to be the baby of the family and share these last precious moments in my house, because I don’t know if these are moments I’ll ever see again.

In the spirit of my Jungle-Book-bedroom, number one on my list of “bare necessities” is the time I get to spend with those I love. In the hustle of the day-to-day it's easy to lose sight of this. We've been given an opportunity to appreciate it once more, and I will be forever grateful for it.