Young Healthwatch on...School closures and exam cancellations
What?! Hang on a minute there Boris... Could you please repeat what you just said for those people at the back? I turned to my sister: "Did he just say what I thought he said?". We both stared at each other for a minute, confusion plastered our faces. My sister was already up and off the couch – elated - for her it must have felt like the burden of a tonne of bricks had just been ripped off her shoulders since she'd been preparing to do her A-levels for 2 years now.
I was in complete and utter awe. Yes, I should be happy. Stress over. But I wasn't. We'd spent the past 2 years preparing to tackle this mammoth of a stepping-stone. A chance to prove ourselves now snatched from under us. Okay, I know what you're probably thinking: "Stop being such a nerd and get over yourself please". And yes – yes - I totally agree with you, wholeheartedly. BuT IT's NoT THAt EAsy tO GeT OVEr WheN i'Ve BeEn prepARING FOr ThIS FOR TWO YEARS! TWO YEARS! I literally have biscuit tins of flashcards under my bed. FULL to the brim with nothing but FLASHCARDS. Do you know how sad that is? Ok. I'll calm down now.
Now I had two options. I could've felt sorry for myself, for the fact that everything I'd done for the past two years seemed to have gone to waste. Or I could pick myself up - like every kid in this country - and accept this as a fact.
If you think about it (as weird as this may seem) Coronavirus was a blessing in disguise. Yes a huge, ugly, deadly blessing. But a blessing nonetheless. Over the past few days I realised all the things I've always wanted to do but haven't had the chance. All those series I haven't watched, all those books I've wanted to read instead of Macbeth and A Christmas Carol, all the family time I've been forced to catch up on, all those brownies I've wanted to bake but haven't had the opportunity to do so.
Maybe the last bit should be changed to "All the brownies my sister should bake for me now that she's free..."
Now, on a more serious note… You may have been feeling a little down this week. Confused even. Or you could be like my sister, over the moon (or maybe she's just a bit crazy) but I'm here to tell you that no matter how you're feeling, it's going to be okay. You are allowed to feel how you feel right now. But see this as an opportunity.
Now all that's left to say is GOOD LUCK to the #ClassOfCovid-192020!
