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Brenna Cohoon Athlete's Blog - April 1, 2020

Published by
ILXCTF - Mike Newman   Apr 1st 2020, 12:45pm
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Blog #6 – Times Like These

 

By Brenna Cohoon

 

Just like life in general lately, this past weekend was strange.  Saturday was supposed to be the last indoor meet of my high school running career at the Illinois Prep Top Times indoor championships.  

 

That was the case for many seniors, but we unfortunately did not get to experience that for a good reason.  The health of the public is of utmost importance, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t saddening to watch highly anticipated experiences being robbed from beneath me due to this uncertain pandemic.

 

The reason why I say last weekend was strange was because of these unique circumstances and my feelings surrounding them.  Missing Top Times was odd because of the reasoning behind it.  It was hard to fully wrap my head around the fact that the meet simply didn’t take place.  

 

I wasn’t missing it because I didn’t qualify.  I wasn’t missing it due to illness or an injury.  I wasn’t missing it due to an odd weather occurrence (such as the snowstorm that prevented my team from competing my sophomore year).  It wasn’t going on without me while I watched from the side.  It just wasn’t happening.

 

I was definitely sad thinking about not being able to race in one of my favorite meets of the entire season.  However, I reflected a lot upon everything going on around me and decided that some lost racing opportunities were the least of the world’s worries at this moment.  I allowed myself to experience my emotions and process through all of this, but I needed to move on, as well.

 

Throughout my time in quarantine, I have feared the fact that I might be feeling too selfish about this whole situation.  I feel guilty for feeling sad sometimes, because I know that some people are experiencing much worse things due to COVID-19.  

 

There are college athletes who saw an abrupt end to their entire athletic career and must now struggle to search for jobs at a time where everything is uncertain. 

 

There are medical professionals risking their lives day after day trying to assist people in any way possible.  There are people suffering from the health effects of the coronavirus. 

 

All of these factors and so many more make my personal stresses and sorrows regarding COVID-19 seem so insignificant.

 

Even though some days are more mentally and emotionally draining than others, I have some reassuring constants in my life.  I have running.  Even if there comes a time where I can’t leave my house, I am thankful to have the option to use a treadmill and continue my passion. 

 

I have my other hobbies and personal interests that I’ve been enjoying over the past few weeks, such as reading, writing, drawing, and painting.  I have music to listen to.  I have digital communication with my friends. 

 

Of course, perhaps most importantly, I also have my family to turn to.

 

My family seriously deserve the biggest shout out in the world for all that they do, especially for everything they’ve done during these past few weeks in quarantine.  At any time in my life, they’re there to cheer me up, and that has definitely continued as I go through the frustrations of how everything is being impacted by the coronavirus. 

 

When they’re not working (from home), my parents are trying to find creative ways to keep all of us occupied.  I would be feeling a whole lot worse if it weren’t for my family in times like these!

 

Since this week is our school’s spring break, I’ve had even more time to do as I please.  The past couple of days, I have been keeping myself entertained by enjoying some of my previously mentioned hobbies.  Additionally, I have spent a lot of time looking through old pictures with my mom, reorganizing things while having a good laugh.  It’s nice to bring some light into my life by reminiscing on old memories while creating new ones.

 

I’ve been trying to practice gratitude more often since being in quarantine, which is something that helps me cope with all of my emotions during this time.  Whether I run through a list in my head or actually write down some things for which I am grateful, I have noticed that it makes a positive difference in my mindset.

 

Even though I continue to be faced with disappointments and stress due to the coronavirus, I’ve trusted that everything will be alright.  Thinking about the good things in my life and acknowledging my gratitude for them is a way to relax in the midst of this chaos.

 

 I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: I believe that everything happens for a reason.  I don’t think I’ll ever know all of the reasons why so many people are suffering right now, but there’s a light at the end of this tunnel.

 

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