WIth news that schools are closed for the rest of the year and graduation being postponed or cancelled across the country, it’s been hard for students to stay positive during this pandemic. While it may seem impossible to find a silver lining during this terrible time, there is always a bright side to everything. 

Since there are less people going to work everyday and many people aren’t even leaving their homes, the amount of cars on the roads have significantly gone down. The result being that air pollution has gone down in densely populated areas like New York City and Los Angeles. There’s been a noticeable change in air quality and the grey haze usually visible in the horizon seems to have diminished. Humans aren’t the only ones benefiting from the better air quality. March, April and May are peak months for plants and trees to start blooming. They are loving the clean air and yards are looking greener than they ever have before. Animals are thriving too and some people are saying that nature is returning and taking over.

Many college students are now home and families are kind of forced to spend time together. For some this might seem like a hassle but spending quality time with your family is very beneficial to your mental health. Families are great support systems, especially during a difficult time like this. Parents are also happy to have their children home from college and families are becoming closer than before. 

The biggest positive to come out of all this is that we are all realizing what really matters to us in life. There’s a saying; “you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone” and as cheesy as it may be, now more than ever, people are realizing what they had now that it’s gone. We are finally understanding how much we value seeing our friends and going to school. Quality education is becoming valued because the world is realizing online schooling is not as effective. Teachers, doctors, nurses, first responders etc. are finally being recognized for their unmatched value in society. Our heros are now our favorite teacher or a doctor that saved someone’s life instead of celebrities. Communities are growing closer and will emerge from the pandemic stronger and more resilient. 

For the class of 2020, as much as it hurts to lose the end of our senior year, we will get through this because we’re strong. When it starts to get rough, just remember to stay positive because there is a brightside to everything and eventually this will end.