One Teen’s Thoughts on COVID

by 2nd year WIT Teen Natalie Goldwasser
Founder of Kids Too

COVID-19 taught me that control is mostly an illusion. We have an idea of what will happen, and how we will make it happen, yet we fail to include the forces of nature in our plans. We look forward to days which will happen years ahead, and believe that if we work hard, we will be able to accomplish what we want. That is true to some degree, but it is also very wrong. We don’t know what circumstances the next day, month, or year will bring. There are too many things which we can’t control, yet what we can control, is our response to the curveballs life throws us. We can control our reaction and our way of dealing with things.

At the beginning of the quarantine my heart ached. My heart ached for the people who were sick and dying, for those who would soon lose their jobs, those who would be homeless, those who didn’t know where their next meal would come from, for having to avoid human contact, and for all the exciting things that we would miss. My heart still aches, but it heals because of the unity and strength people all around the world have shown, and the willingness to react in a way which leads to a positive impact.

Helen Keller once said, “alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much.”

In times like these, it is important to remember that there is a tremendous amount of power in a community. We can show that power from our homes, and we have seen people all around the world do that, all the way from celebrities to WIT Teens.

I am the founder of Kids Too, an organization which gives school supplies to under-resourced kids. Before COVID-19, I was working on a project in which I would adopt a classroom, and work with the teachers to compile a list of school supplies. Since schools are now closed, and everything is online at home, I pivoted. I am now delivering school supplies to families who don’t have the resources necessary for online/homeschooling. I recently made a delivery at Vista Square Elementary, where I gave packages to around 40 families, and next week I’m making another delivery. Although my initial project no longer worked because of things outside of my control, I decided to react with a solution.

John Krasinski has been rallying the world together in a different way. There were many events which were cancelled, events which many people looked forward to for many years, for example prom and graduation. John Krasinski therefore decided to host a virtual prom. Students from the class of 2020, could dress up and go to a virtual prom. He is now doing the same thing, but for graduation, so seniors can at least have an online graduation ceremony, and get recognized for their hard work. Doing these types of events is also important for the well-being of the people, since it gives hope and excitement during a time when that is not so easy to find.

I really hope that we as a society and as people, realize that even though there are many things which we cannot control, we can control what we do about it. We have seen the strength in our community and in the people all over the world, and I hope that we never forget the power it has. It’s also very important to always acknowledge the hard work that individuals are doing everyday, to give a positive response to a situation we cannot control, like doctors, nurses and other essential workers.