Restrictions have been gradually lifted here in Manitoba, and life is returning to normal—for now. But regardless of what happens next, whether there’s a second wave or whether a vaccine is developed quickly, the pandemic has left its mark.
Young people are often more insightful than adults give them credit for being, and rarely has this been as true as in this month’s batch of Dear Covid letters.
Since the middle of May, Grade Six students at Niverville Middle School have been processing their feelings about the pandemic in a unique way. A trio of middle school teachers—Lynn Albig, Tammy Peters, and Kelley Heintz—have encouraged their students to express themselves through letters.
The recipient of these letters? Covid itself.
The Citizen is publishing many of these Dear Covid letters throughout the month of June. (We started two weeks ago.) It’s time to add some new voices to the public record—the voices of our young people.
Asia Reimer
Dear COVID-19,
I hate you. You’ve messed up my whole year. 2019/20 has already been a bonkers year, but then you came in and made everything worse. I’ve never been on a plane before so I was really excited since me and my family were planning on flying out to Ontario to see family that we haven’t seen in a long time. I was super excited to fly for the first time but because of you I most likely can’t go. Not to mention our spring play and the Niverville fair are both cancelled. Don’t even get me started on homeschooling. I was really enjoying school and getting to see my teacher and friends every morning, and now I wake up and open my Chromebook and sit on the couch all morning doing work. I miss seeing people and I just don’t understand why you did this. Do you find it amusing to watch our planet go through a crisis like this?
I guess a few good things came out of this crisis though. Me and my family have spent a lot of time together and it’s definitely brought us closer. I think it’s been bringing lots of families closer. And I think we’ve taken lots of things for granted (like hugs). But now that we know what it’s like to not be able to see people for a few months we will learn to be kinder to others because you never know when you won’t be able to see them again.
So even though there are quite a few downsides from this and lots of deaths, we can still learn a good lesson from this. So COVID, I guess you’re not that bad, I think we just need to look at you in a different way.
But just to be clear, when you do leave, please don’t come back ever again!
George Zhelev
Dear COVID-19,
What did you do with 2020? Nothing is the same. People are dying because of you, millions are infected. My soccer is postponed. We risk our lives even when going shopping. We civilized people have to compete for food and toilet paper. Ridiculous! All my yummy food favourites are gone thanks to you. School is cancelled because of you and I can’t see my wonderful teacher and my friends. I can’t play soccer during recess. I can’t present my TUSC (Totally Unique Speakers Club) in front of my class and see the reactions of my classmates. Yes, we connect online but it’s not the same feeling. I miss gym! I miss the special activities and events, the visits of great artists and writers to my school. I miss all the fun field trips. I miss my school desk, my locker, and my combination lock keeping my stuff safe and organised all school year until you came. I miss wearing my backpack! I miss eating lunch together with my classmates, laughing, joking, and enjoying their company. I miss seeing my mom waiting for me in front of the school at the end of the day. It was nice to chat with her about my day at school on our way home.
So… Covid, are you happy now? You changed the world completely and you really annoyed me. I can’t travel. I don’t know when I’m going to play soccer with my team again. All my spring and summer tournaments got cancelled because of you! I can’t even go to a movie theatre. But you know all that already… don’t you? You’ve planned all that!
Anyway… I have to tell you that there are few things that I want to thank you for! Now, I can spend more time with my family and I really enjoy that. My mom helps me with my schoolwork and my dad turned into my personal soccer coach! I even Skype my grandma in Europe to help me with some math problems… My grandma is a math teacher but I’ve never before asked her for help. She is great and so calm!
You know what, Covid, you made us realise how many bad things we humans are doing to nature, to the world around us… I call this karma! What goes around comes around. I heard scientists warn us that by 2050 if we don’t stop being careless there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. What about the air pollution? It’s horrible in India, Japan, and other countries around the world. Many people there were wearing masks long before you came! What about the wildfires? Thousands of kangaroos died in Australia! What about Antarctica where the icecaps are melting and the polar bears have nowhere to live because of that. That’s why, Covid, I say thank you to you! You’re like a wakeup call for us. I feel like the earth needs a break from us people and you made us realise that.
You made me appreciate even more simple things. When I return to school, I will be really happy to meet my friends and teachers. And of course I heard about your rules. People are talking about them everywhere. I know, I know… I will keep a safe distance from other people, wash my hands frequently, and cover my mouth when I sneeze or cough. (The last two I used to do before too, so you know!) Now that I’m thinking, I’m going to implement a few rules on my own… I’m not going to drink from the water fountain. I also won’t share my food with other kids. I will sanitize my desk and I will be very careful when sharing the equipment and the sports gear in the gym.
Okay, enough with the rules… I wonder when I can enjoy a real house party again or a soccer trophy. Don’t get offended but because of you things got pretty boring lately. Am I going to invite you? Thanks for all the lessons, Covid, but NO! Sooner or later, the scientists will find a cure for you and you will go away! Will you come back? I don’t know but I will definitely remember you!
PS: I hope you never come back!