Text Only

Talk about how the pandemic has affected your closest relationships.

Pre-pandemic my husband and I had a group of friends that we saw regularly (every month or two). We've kept in touch with most of them via text, Zoom, and a handful of small in-person outdoor gatherings. But it's not the same. I find myself feeling resentful of friends who are thriving in the pandemic--taking up crafting, cooking, and roller skating, enjoying remote relationships they established pre-pandemic, etc. I am not thriving. I am keeping my head down and trudging through each day, regularly questioning the point of any of this. I have struggled with bouts of depression and feel like I have no one to talk to about it. Everyone is depressed, and the people who aren't depressed make me feel like I just need to get over myself. It's lonely. I hope when all the adults are vaccinated, things can get back to something that resembles normal, but I do feel like there's a kind of river between me and the people I call friends right now. Getting across the bridge is going to be harder than just going to a few barbecues or whatever this summer.