# data[].attributes.body
During COVID, my family adopted an orange tabby named Henry and added him to our other cats, Jenny, Jake and Reggie. At first he was all beat-up and scruffy looking, but now, we know very well that he’s a super friendly lap cat.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Covid Isolation Made Me Realize How Much I Missed My Friends

# data[].attributes.subject
The Covid Isolation Made Me Realize How Much I Missed My Friends

# data[].attributes.body
We all know that the COVID-19 pandemic was absolutely terrible for everyone. It is also common belief that whatever came from or was spurred by the isolation was nothing good. But yet, it taught me something important other than to wear my mask and not eat bats. It taught me that my friends are pretty darn awesome. Now I know that that sounds like it came from a sappy moment in a kids movie but It’s how I really feel. During the rest of sixth grade when we were all forced to be online, it put a huge dampener on my mood. Nevertheless, what always made me feel better is that my friends were just a few texts or a phone call away, making the isolation a little more bearable. Not to mention, when we were all allowed to come back to school in seventh grade, I can’t describe how free I felt. Now of course I could always go outside into my yard during COVID, but it wasn’t the same. Most likely because I didn’t have my friends pulling on my backpack or laughing in amusement at a funny joke or quip that one of us came up with. But when I got back into the same old routine of walking to and fro on that concrete pavement, I got that sunshine and liveliness back that I had been craving for in isolation. I can’t describe how grateful I am for my friends as they always fill my life with blinding rays of sunshine. However, the time that we all spent, stuck in our houses for months, made us all realize just how much we missed each other’s entertaining company.

# data[].attributes.body
Midnight waves cascade

I’m trembling with frozen breaths

My lungs throbbing raw

# data[].attributes.body
After doing some deep diving into the character that is myself, I’ve realized that I’ve developed an inferiority complex. I can’t really recall exactly when it first sprouted but this nasty little weed has been irking me since sixth grade. It’s most likely because I’ve surrounded myself with such talented and wonderful people, and although I love them to bits, I can’t help but feel…well…inferior. Pardon my use of ellipses, I have a constant craving for theatrics. Moving on, I think my “problem” was given a boost by the pandemic and all that staying inside and stuff. Because I wasn’t able to get myself out there and I was often alone in my room, I eventually picked up the habit of picking at my insecurities, kinda like picking at a scab. It hurt to think and talk about myself in the way that I did, but it felt really satisfying to finally satiate that itch. That is, until another scab popped up again, another target. Alright I’m going to stop talking about scabs, they’re starting to gross me out. I no longer am as self destructive as I used to be in sixth grade, which is a very good thing. But emerging from that period and going right back into school did such a number on my self-esteem. Like no kidding, even a trash can seemed to look better than me. However, I began to grow out of that dark, depressive phase and started to mold a positive outlook on myself. And hey, it worked. I love myself and who I turned out to be, honest. Although, I still occasionally get the feeling of being drowned out by waves whenever my complex decides to be self-conscious again. It’s a quirk of mine that I gotta live with now, but hey, humans are supposed to be a little envious, right?

# data[].attributes.body
me

# data[].attributes.body
my orange tabby, Henry, is surprisingly very active and rambunctious despite being the weight of a rhinoceros.

# data[].attributes.body
me speaking to a camera while being interrupted by my cat for 50 seconds

# data[].attributes.body
what more is there to say as a 5’1 person? I’m very prone to short jokes.

# data[].attributes.body
While we were stuck at home, my brother and I went on nature walks for some exercise, this is a photo of the path we often took.

# data[].attributes.body
Me: How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect your daily life?

Jill Dokson/Mother: It affected my life because it forced me to change my whole daily lifestyle and it compelled me to work at my at-home office for around a year. However, because of the pandemic and because I was always home, I was able to connect and bond with my family. Although my coworkers and I are now allowed to return to our office in Coral Springs, I realized that I like it better when I’m at home with my family, so most days I work at home in my comfy little office.

# data[].attributes.body
It’s a cat, I love cats

# data[].attributes.body
Writing has already been one of my favorite things to do, but the pandemic has spurred some newfound inspiration from inside me. Currently, I’m working on a huge writing project which includes three full novels of a series that I have been planning for a long time. Although I have only just finished the prologue for the first story, soon enough, the time will fly by as I continue mapping out merely a fraction of the ideas stored inside my head.

# data[].attributes.body
During the pandemic, my great-grandmother passed away, this is a photo of her grave next to my great-grandfather’s.

# data[].attributes.body
run

# data[].attributes.body
Recently, I’ve been introduced to a plethora of new television shows and Brooklyn Nine-Nine was one of them. Although I’m only on Season 2, I can already say without a doubt this show is one of my favorites.

# data[].attributes.body
to the dump they go

# data[].attributes.body
Like the person in the photo, I was forced to be in online school because of the Covid-19 spread

# data[].attributes.body
War was something that I and many other people alike never expected to happen, and so suddenly at that. I personally, am very disturbed how leaders of already powerful countries would readily sacrifice innocent lives for more power. Vladimir Putin’s actions repulse me and I sincerely hope that Ukraine will prevail in the end.

# data[].attributes.body
When I saw this posted all over the internet, at first, I was convinced that it wasn’t real and that it was just a joke. However, when I turned on the news, this headline was real and I was beyond shocked. I couldn’t believe something like this would be allowed to happen, especially at the capitol of the United States.