Recently, I’ve been reading and hearing about what people were doing five years ago! The time when we first ever went into lockdown in the UK! For me, it was a very confusing time, as I came to learn what COVID even was after being in hospital for so long! There so, I thought I would share my COVID story with you lovelies!

Good Morning Lovelies, 

Five years ago today, what were you doing? If you are like me, you probably can’t remember the exact thing, however, if you were in the UK, we were taking on the surreal rules that became the norm that month. Queuing outside supermarkets, working from home and teaching your children instead of sending them to school.

All of these elements became things that we just got used to in a scary way. Yet, five years on, it oddly seems like they never happened. Popping to the shops is just a quick dip in and out. Local schools act like they didn’t ever have to send the work home via a computer and more people are embracing the work from home life. 

For me, five years ago seems just like yesterday though. Having been admitted to an eating disorder inpatient ward just before the pandemic started, I was told it was safer for me to be outside and home than in there. When on a ward like mine, you don’t really listen to or watch the news. All of us in there were pretty unaware of anything going on, so when we were told the news that we would all be discharged to be safe, it was hard to deal with. 

However, in an odd way, I am thankful that COVID struck. My planned time in hospital was going to be a long time. Months of missed moments with my dad, who later in the year passed away. Five years ago, the lockdown brought me the chance to be with him. We had one final Father’s Day, birthday and other celebrations. For these reasons, those final memories and the time we had together oddly make me thankful for COVID. 

Looking back, five years ago, I didn’t know a lot about what was going on, but I was grateful for it for a number of reasons. Being with my family the top one. However, lockdown also gave me the chance to see a life where every week wasn’t spent with a scale in front of me. It gave me the courage to ask to be discharged and a power to live my life again. 

Whilst we are still navigating that new life without my dad five years on, my COVID story was actually one that I am thankful for because of the time that it gave me to be with him. The time to learn about myself. The time to give back to my community whilst also receiving some amazing help from others too. It built everlasting friendships. It built a sense of love. It made my family come together in powerful ways. 

It will never be remembered for being a nice time but it will be remembered for the moments it gave us to learn who we are and what we will become. Five years on, I’m adapting, learning and appreciating more than I ever did before. Hopefully, we never go through it again but for what it has left us with, we are all I hope better people who love a whole lot more! 

Joey X