Emotional Setback

I unexpectedly became a little unraveled this morning. We were expecting our new refrigerator to be delivered this morning, so Don cleaned off outside of the old fridge, taking off magnets and clearing off the top so when the delivery person arrived it was set to go (he was waiting for the "I'll be there in 30 minutes" call before emptying the inside of the fridge.

One of the items cleared off was the keeper half of an RSVP card for an event on March 18, 2020 that was one of the first events to be postponed, then canceled. It was supposed to be the start of the fun part of Senior Year. Turned out to be the start of the things that never happened and will never happen. The start of the defining time in Ashley's life.

Last night we listened to Muhlenberg's chat about how the campus will be different for the Spring semester. Last semester only freshmen and select upperclassmen lived on campus. Next semester everyone who wants to live on campus can -- but it will be A LOT different from what they are used to. Even as a freshman, Ashley is learning it won't be like it was in the Fall. Last semester she bonded with her floor as they each had a single on a floor that was only about a third capacity. The school is using their November roommate requests with their summer dorm choices to decide who lives where. There is a group of eight who want to live on the same floor in the same freshman dorm. Trouble is they requested different dorms back in the summer. It will take a miracle for them to end up together. With quarantining, it will be hard for them to visit, they certainly will not be able to gather in the hall like they are used to doing. Hopefully they'll simply expand their group of friends and not keep Zooming their clique like they are doing over extended winter break.

The part that hit home for me is that the current senior class (2021) is losing the exciting part of their senior year. It is not exactly like the class of 2020 who were vaporized off campus (or so it seemed), but they are still losing their traditions. Their senior ball (like Ashley's class lost their senior proms).

It still feels unfair. There is a vaccine on the horizon, but many are saying they won't take it on principle. Can the rest of us take it and move forward with large group activities again?

Oh, and the governor cut outdoor activities from 500 to 100 to 25. I suspect restaurants and hair salons are not too far behind.

Deep breaths.