We’re living in COVID World. Now what?

Last April, I was looking forward to the summer when the COVID-19 pandemic had run its course. Didn’t happen. Then I thought the end-point would be after the first of the year 2021. Still no luck. Striving to be always the optimist, I was almost positive the pandemic’s last breath would be sometime this summer.

In the interim, the pandemic has interrupted life for everyone. There’s no “so-called privilege” because COVID-19 is no respecter of age, income, race or zip code. We’ve all taken a hit. In our family, my granddaughter had to give up a language immersion scholarship in Mexico and a summer abroad on the African continent. I’ve missed spending time with friends and travel has been out of the question.

This summer, my youngest granddaughter had to give up an invitation to study with the Royal London Ballet. Her older brother’s freshman year at Texas A&M University was not even close to normal, and her twin brother attended a debate camp by Zoom rather than in-person.

This said, we have been oh so fortunate, healthwise, and we are more than grateful. So many friends have lost loved ones, extended family members have contracted COVID-19, friends who are physicians and nurses have experienced and dealt with the unimaginable and have paid an enormous price.

And so, a new school year begins.

By tradition, Baylor College of Medicine welcomes each new first year class of 200 med students with a weekend retreat at a camp about two hours north of Houston. Baylor required each incoming freshman to be completely vaccinated before reporting to school. However, a few days after the class returned to Houston and new students were preparing for their “white coat” ceremony, some of their classmates were beginning to exhibit symptoms of the virus. By the end of the first week of August, six percent of the incoming class had tested positive for COVID-19.

This resulted in the cancellation of the med school’s first week of inperson classes, and the Aug. 13 White Coat Ceremony disinvited all the friends and families of the firstyear students, which was disappointing to the eager “new docs.” Some were even angry – and I don’t fault them…this ceremony is a once-in-a-lifetime milestone.

Dripping Springs High School Class of 2020 just can’t seem to catch a break. Their senior year, they had just a couple of months of in-person classes. Those who worked hard in various endeavors didn’t compete in regional or state competition, missed prom – but to the district’s credit, an abridged commencement was held.

Those students who continued on to colleges and universities experienced a freshman year of quarantines, masks and having their temperatures taken constantly. They also attended more online classes than they had counted on.

This new semester appears to be starting out the same.

COVID-19 has brought unavoidable sacrifices into all our lives.

I was proud of DSISD’s school board and Superintendent, Dr. Holly Morris-Kuentz, for mandating masks for all students, teachers and school personnel.

I have a friend who lives out-of-state. She is the mother of a third grader who had just announced she was going to be friends ONLY with kids wearing masks. I hope every kid in her school shows up wearing a mask. But that third-grader didn’t come up with that on her own. Like mother, like daughter -- like father, like son.

So, it looks like we’re in for yet another “buckle-your-seatbelt and mask-up” journey this fall because of the COVID-19 delta variant (sorry, Class of 2022). I wish it were different. But I believe in the resilience of the Dripping Springs community spirit. Together, we can handle any challenge that comes! Please pray for our teachers and students, our doctors and nurses and all the essential workers who increase our quality of life.

Keep the faith.