Picture this. It is your 18th birthday and you are getting ready for the biggest night out of the decade. You only have to put one layer of makeup on instead of two as there is no need to ‘look older’ anymore and your PrettyLittleThing dress that you have tried on 78 times in the past week is looking better than ever. The fake ID that has been used frequently over the past six months is now no longer needed and your parents are buying you alcohol instead of policing it.
This situation is a somewhat accurate recollection of my own experience, mixed with some stories from friends, of turning 18 years old; a milestone in a young person’s life. As a result of the circumstances that we currently find ourselves in, it almost saddens me that others turning 18 during these months in lockdown will not experience similar. This includes also those turning 18 in the future when Britain is still feeling the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, I began to think about how something as simple as a birthday will be so hugely affected in the future by the coronavirus pandemic.
Simple aspects of birthdays we took for granted before lockdown may not even be able to take place anymore. The whole birthday celebration fiasco in general may even have to be reinvented altogether around social distancing guidelines, depending on how long coronavirus continues to be part of our lives. The simple action of licking an envelope to seal a birthday card, blowing out candles on a cake that will be shared with friends or simply having big groups of people over in close proximity are all examples of small birthday traditions that may be uncomfortable issues in a post-lockdown world.
It is evident that issues with birthday celebrations remain low on the list of issues that have come out of the coronavirus pandemic. However, I feel this shows how sometimes we do not even notice how much this situation has infiltrated our lives and affected regular family traditions and lifetime milestones.
“we cannot always predict what is around the corner, especially something on the same scale as the coronavirus pandemic”
The effect of this virus is something that could have only been predicted in mysterious Netflix documentaries, yet now I am finding it hard to imagine life without the threat of coronavirus in it. Even the thought of being in a club or a bar for celebrations, so close to so many strangers, makes me feel uncomfortable. Just a few months ago this was a normal part of university life.
The main message I am trying to get across through reflecting on this topic is that we cannot always predict what is around the corner, especially something on the same scale as the coronavirus pandemic. I feel the biggest lesson I have learnt throughout the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown restrictions is to be grateful and appreciative each day of life, loved ones and everything in between. Appreciate even the smallest things in life as you never know what the future holds.
Isabelle Raikes
Featured Image courtesy of Chris Jarvis via Unsplash.