Problems I Wish I Still Had

I used to have many problems in my everyday life, which surprisingly, Coronavirus (COVID-19) has caused to disappear. While I know I should be grateful that I no longer must deal with these problems, all I can think about is how I wish I had some of them back!

Traffic: Every school morning I would hear the incessant beeeping of car horns outside my window. I live right near a preschool and a couple of blocks away from three public schools. Morning traffic would start blaring through my windows as early as seven-fifteen. Yet for the past six weeks, the streets have been clear and the roads quiet. I never thought I would miss the sounds of the bustling morning traffic, but I sure do.

School lunches: Every night before bed, I would line up my daughter’s lunch boxes on the counter. I made sure to keep in mind which one liked to have a sandwich, which one pasta, and which one only liked food in the color red. According to these strict guidelines set by my children, I would forge together the best lunches I could make. My efforts were often met with complaints and cries of, “mommy, I said I don’t want... cucumbers, apples, tuna, jam, forks, and bags in my lunch!” You would think I would be glad for the long break in making school lunches, but I have grown sad every time I see the dusty boxes in the cupboard; waiting for me to fill them with foods they request and then complain about.

Mess and noise: I loved playdates. I enjoyed watching my girls play with their friends. What I enjoyed less was the shrieking, constant munching, and mess that was often leftover from the playdates. Yet, I had learned to forego my clean kitchen and full pantry in order to see my daughters with their young friends run through the home. I hope my home will be loud and messy again, I really do.

Crowds: Who enjoyed being in crowded rooms or music halls? Not me… or at least I thought I didn’t. I used to avoid crowded places like the mall, especially a few days before a holiday. I have even left theme parks because of the herds. Yet, a crowd means lots of people gathered to enjoy an activity, something that has not been done in quite a while. I miss knowing they are there.

Speaking Hebrew: I never thought I would say this, really, but I miss speaking Hebrew. Not the actual speaking part, but the act of communicating. Because if I’m speaking Hebrew, it means I’m out and about trying to connect with another person, something that social distancing has made difficult. If being out means I must try and communicate in a language I struggle in, then so be it, I would much rather struggle and be out than be comfortable and stay inside.

I want these “problems” back. Pretty please you will give them to me?! I miss them very much because you see, these problems weren’t really problems to begin with. I simply saw them that way and that was my problem all along.