Return of the Rona

 28 September - 4 October 2020

Well, the most eventful thing that happened this week was that my two roommates tested positive for Covid19. So... back into quarantine I go, with a high chance of catching it too. Oh well, at least then I'd get it over with already. I haven't felt super sick yet, but I have felt more tired and have felt some minor symptoms--the most frequent of which is an annoying headache. Oh yeah, and I have no appetite. 

Since I've been isolated this week, I've taken to go on nature walks by myself outside (staying clear of others) and admiring the beauty around me. I've felt so much happier as I've taken time to appreciate the moment around me and to soak in the details of nature--the water droplets on the grass, the blooming flowers, the veins on leaves, or the height of some of the trees. I even found an acorn! I think it was the first acorn I've ever seen out in nature, still enclosed in its outer protective shell. Apparently they are toxic to humans, but you can de-toxify them and eat them (thanks for the info, Google). I'm adding that to my bucket list: eating an acorn dish.

I've also taken to sitting outside somewhere on campus where I am isolated but have access to campus WiFi. The wifi in the house is awful, especially now that my other roommates are home in quarantine and we are all trying to do classes. I will get kicked out of my Zoom classes, lose connection lots of times, and have the videos constantly freezing. So I found this perfect spot outside, on a hill near the tennis courts, where I can lean back on a rock that is completely flat on its back face. I bring a blanket to sit on. The only inconvenience is that my laptop doesn't hold a charge for longer than an hour and a half (and that's if I'm lucky) so I can't stay outside there for long before it dies.

I have also been working more hours. I have a LOT of grading to do this next week. I ordered a weighted blanket and paper slicer, so I'm looking forward to receiving those two things next week! 

I miss my social life. I miss you guys. Isolation is no fun--and it's not emotionally healthy (I would know; I'm a psych major) :). But conference did bring some comfort and inspiration. So many of the messages stood out to me regarding the pain and trial we must endure, but the joy and revelation that is coupled with it. To close, I want to share one insight I had while studying 3 Nephi 20 this morning. There was a reference in verse 40 about Christ being the publisher of salvation, and it reminded me how He is also referred to as the author and finisher of our faith. An author creates a world and characters. Christ created us and the world. The next step for a book to reach publication is for it to be edited. We are the editors. We recognize our errors and mistakes. We tell God about them as we repent and try to do and be better. At the end of our lives, Christ will take the manuscript of our life, full of the red ink of errors we have circled and tried fixing, and he will turn that into a perfectly published book, free of the errors. I love this analogy because it shows the active role we must take in being better each day, but Jesus Christ can still help us, and it is only because of Him that the errors can be fixed. We don't fix ourselves in this life, but we recognize them and try to be better. He is the one who paid the price for them. It's not a perfect analogy, but it brought new insight to me.

Much love,

Emily Burnham