Thankfully my most vivid memory of the Coronavirus is not from a sick family member or friend, although I do know three individuals who contracted the illness, they all made full recoveries. My Covid season is not filled with economic hardship (I didn’t lose my job or stress financially.) No, when I look back at the past three months or so my biggest disappointment revolves around my son’s experience.
Brennan set the school record for the 800-meter run at Santa Clara University during the 2019 track season. Bonnie and I were making plans to see him run in five races in 2020 in what was promising to be his most successful track season so far. His cross-country season ended in November and the improvement in his times boded well for strong results in the spring track season.
Alas, Coronavirus had other plans. After his first race of the season, a low key warm up race in Berkeley, the NCAA cancelled all future sporting events in March and just like that my son’s Senior athletic year was over. Later in the month of March, the school cancelled his graduation. So, like many families with graduating seniors this year, we celebrated Brennan’s graduation over Zoom.
Like many of you, I long for the time when I can resume activities I have all too often taken for granted: Lunch with Allen, A beer after a round of golf with my foursome, a dinner out with my family, going to a movie with my daughter, window shopping with Bonnie and Juliette. Thankfully there are signs that a gradual, prudent opening of the economy contains little risk for a dramatic increase in new cases of those who are sick. If Dr. Fauci is correct and we will have a vaccine by the end of the year, or if WHO is right that asymptomatic patients cannot easily spread the virus, perhaps we can all get back to normal soon. It won’t resurrect my son’s track season or graduation ceremony, but it will make me feel a little better.