It’s okay. I’m struggling too. 

I’m not sure who handles a pandemic well, but I’m certainly not that person. 

No one taught me how to deal with a pandemic. Kindergarten was for "stop, drop and roll," not “wear a mask and stay six feet apart.” This year is something out of a dystopian young adult novel, not my junior year of college.

I won’t lie — the past five months have been hard. I regressed back into my pre-college self and lost a lot of hope for the future. I’m only 20, and I feel the weight of the future of our society on my shoulders. 

Honestly, that feeling hasn’t changed with the start of the school year, and with the potential of a classmate dying from COVID-19, I don’t expect that feeling to leave me anytime soon.

I’m still struggling. I think most of us are. Even with so much more life to live, it still feels like our worlds are ending now.

But it will be okay. 

I can’t solve the pandemic, and unfortunately, you can’t either. But that’s okay. Our only job right now is to put one foot in front of the other and continue on the best we can.

I’m proud of us for getting out of bed every day. For eating a meal. For talking to friends. For attending class. For taking care of ourselves.

I’m proud of us for openly struggling. For cutting ourselves some slack. For trying our best. 

It’s okay. I’m with you.

Kielty is a government and sociology junior from Concord, Massachusetts.