Jazmin Campbell is a 17-years-old student starting her senior year of high school in Austin, Texas and active on her local youth advisory council. She writes this month about seeing the positive in school closures and lockdowns and the power of pets (in her case a rabbit called Cinnabon) for helping teens get through. Here is her piece:
As the spread of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) continues to grow and there is curiosity in the minds of many about this virus, I have been trying to find the positive in this situation. I know, as teenagers, many of us would rather be out with a friend and enjoying the sunshine than being ordered to stay home. However, sometimes we seem to forget the benefit of being indoors.
Rediscovering family time: During the COVID-19 pandemic, I have become closer to my family more than ever before! I had never really appreciated the bond that I have with my family until now. Before the pandemic, although we lived in the same house, being so busy with school, work, and other obligations made it extremely hard to spend time with eachother. So, when COVID caused us to stay home, it allowed us to mend the time broken. Being able to connect with them during this inconvenient time of social distancing and stay-at-home orders has brought us together. We have come up with arts and crafts, games, movie nights, and other fun things to do as a family. Unlike some teens I know who are afraid and feel uncertain about the coronavirus, I believe my family time is what keeps me grounded.
Embracing the impact of pets: In addition to spending time with my family, what I believe has truly helped me through this time is my Emotional Support Animal. To help me manage my emotional and physical health due to having complex medical conditions, I selected a bunny and named her Cinnabon. She has been the highlight of everyday and keeps me on my toes. Every moment I am with her allows me to become distracted from all the chaos in the world and makes me feel important. Even though it’s hard work taking care of another living being, the affectionate love I receive in return from Cinnabon outweighs the challenges. I feel that pets have a huge impact in keeping an atmosphere positive and happy. My bunny has, in fact, made COVID-19 less dreadful by playing with me and being my comfort. In the end, I feel that although COVID-19 has its obvious negative impacts on society, we can make the best of the situation by rediscovering family time and embracing the impact of pets. Staying positive will allow us to stay healthy and happy.
