Get Over Yourself and Focus on What is Positive in Your Life

How being born with disabilities has prepared me for living in isolation During COVID-19 Pandemic

It has been several weeks since we have been living with the fear of COVID- 19.

My family and I have been staying home and isolating ourselves since before March Break. It will be like this until this virus ends. There is a lot of seriousness going on but since nobody has been sick in my family, I decided to start my blog. I have been thinking about how there is so much negative news. “Don't touch your face”, “Don't get close to people”, “Don't go to parks”, “Don’t go out unless necessary”, “Ontario reports 551 new cases, 38 more deaths", and “a tiger in the Bronx Zoo gets infected”. Ya, it's the kind of news that will make you soil yourself. Or complain. A lot of people have been grumpy about staying at home in isolation. I get it, they are worried about academics, transitioning to college or university, athletics, jobs and how to feel busy while staying at home. Stop complaining though, it could be a lot worse.

All the negativity of living in a pandemic kind of reminds me of what it's like living with disabilities. People used to think, and still think, that disabilities are scary. It can be hard, and sometimes scary-but not always. When I was young it felt like I focused on what I could not do. A lot of my time was spent on occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and speech therapy, I learned sign language, and voice output systems- such as Vtech. There was a lot of learning. Most people were just playing. I felt bad about myself. I thought, "you can’t see, can’t say certain sounds, are not strong enough, don't have certain spatial movements". They even tested me to see how smart I was. There was a lot of focus on needing to be better and fit in. When I was younger, I thought about myself as impulsive or someone who could not do things well. In grade school, I sat on the grass, away from people that were running and playing because I was blinded by the sunlight. I was afraid. I would pick my fingers, sometimes until they bled. I started to nervously eat. My fear and anxiety took over. It still does but it is rare now and I try to stop the behaviours and deal with my fear. My family, friends and teachers inspire me and show me that I am perfect the way I am. They teach me to believe in my strengths. I see now that I have things to work on, but I have a different perspective. I see myself as determined to do great things. My eyes are affected by Coloboma (missing pieces of the iris and retina). I see things that people usually overlook or do not notice at all.​ My brain helps me notice a lot of funny things that other people don't make time for. My disabilities have provided me with perseverance.

I think that we need to worry about COVID-19. We need to take action and control the spread so that it can go away. When we do, we also need to think about the possibilities and the positives that we have all around us. The people who fill our shelves in grocery stores have been doing a great job. So let's thank them, and not automate their jobs when this pandemic ends. Our teachers, checking in to find out how we are doing, shows that they do more than just teach us. A nice sunny day is a great day to play card games like “Crazy Eights outside with your bossy sister." I have been spending a lot of time with my family. We still go up and down with the fear of how COVID-19 affects us, but focusing on the positive lessens the anxiety.

To lessen anxiety, the lesson is to focus on what we can do rather than what we can’t;

• learn new hobbies, like playing guitar, sculpting, blogging and catching up on shows

• start new routines

• roommate with your sibling for a few nights and bond

• play board games like Battleship

• try new recipes

• get dressed up for no reason at all and stay home

- Beth Deyo, a personal blogger from Bliss Quest delivers this quote "If you want to fly, you have to give up the things that weigh you down" to persuade us to change our habits and find our own strength.