Friendship During a Pandemic

Does your child have favorite stuffed animals? Benji sure does. They go by the names Kuku, Kitty, and Cheeks. Kuku is by far his #1 and yes I have a spare. They are actually the old beanie babies that I had as a child. Instead of “lovies”, we call the animals his “friends”.

I’m writing this during the COVID-19 pandemic which requires people to social distance. 6 feet to be exact. Businesses are closed and so are the doors of our friends and family. Unlike Benji and his beanie-filled friends, we can’t be each other and that’s hard. For me personally, I’m filled with energy by being around people and if I’m alone for too long, I get sad.

But there is a little bit of light.

People in my community are connecting more than before. In normal life, we are all guilty of filling our calendars to the max, which leaves little room (and energy) for connecting with others. I downloaded an app called Marco Polo which is basically a video messaging platform for friends. My family and friends are now connecting more than ever.

Also, this increased communication isn’t all digital. Almost everyone is working from home (unless you’re essential) and people literally have no plans. Naturally, I’m seeing more neighbors walking around the block. I can’t go on a walk without seeing someone and having a conversation from a distance. This was rare before the pandemic.

In the middle of all the chaos of job-loss, economic distress, sickness, and mental health struggles, this is a small glimmer of good.

In the spirit of celebrating friends, I’m going to brag about my bestie. The lady you see below goes by the name of Amanda and I’ve known her since elementary school. Man, it’s difficult to describe your best friend. She is amazing and we have a strong spiritual bond that has deep roots. To boil it down, she is there for me and I am there for her. That’s all you need to keep a friendship strong, no matter what is happening in the world.