Dear COVID,

I could make this short and simply say “I dislike you very much.,” but that’s just not how I roll.

It is true that I dislike you very much. You have stolen so much from my family, my career, and those I care about. I’m not going to make this political or emotional- though I easily could- but in my home, we have done what we’ve been asked to do. Masks, social distancing, quarantine, washing our hands- all of it. We have said “no” when everyone else seemed to be saying “yes” to doing fun things. Thanks to you, my son lost his senior year and now his first semester (and possibly entire first year) of college. Thanks to you, my husband and I have both been impacted financially. Thanks to you, we have not seen our friends in a very long time.

But, we have our health and we are still working and for that we are grateful. We know how lucky we are.

You have stolen from families, businesses, and communities. You have stolen opportunities and futures.

You are confusing, stealthy, scary, and an asshole.

However, you do have an upside.

I have watched businesses get VERY creative. I have seen inspiring creativity and hustle from businesses trying desperately to remain relevant, communicate with customers, and keep themselves afloat. I’m not sure that these businesses would have pivoted with quite the same focus and force- if at all- if it were not for you. True, it was reactive, but that’s okay. It happened and I’m watching businesses evolve and transform into a much more efficient and grown-up version of themselves than before you showed up. So, thanks for that. But, you’re still an asshole.

And to the business owners who have followed the rules and used this as a very unwelcome opportunity to question, shift, grow and transform, you’re awesome. I am so excited to be your customer.