Meet 13-year-old Emily @emilypomer, who lives in Richmond Hill, Ontario. She loves Netflix and the novel The Fault In Our Stars by John Green.
At first, Emily can be seen as a typical teen, doing her thing. She’s like the rest of us, trying to adjust to the “new normal”.
But I looked a little closer.
As the world changed, so did Emily.
As well as her friends.
How Emily spends her time changed, too.
And how she became so resilient.
It’s amazing what a pandemic can do to a girl’s life.
Meet Emily.
Before COVID, how did you spend your free time?
Before COVID, I didn’t have any hobbies. I moved along with life and didn’t really find the need or motivation to start doing SOMETHING, unless we’re counting watching Netflix and YouTube.
During COVID, how did you spend your free time?
I started to make photo walls. Try new foods. Play around with beading and artwork. I also began to increase my physical activity like going for walks and bike riding around the neighbourhood with my friends and family. I also take @youtube exercise classes. My friends and I do the class together while on FaceTime. Finally, at night, if I’m out with my friends (physically distancing, of course), I come home to spend some quality time with my family before I go to bed.
How are you managing with your cancelled summer plans?
I am supposed to be at camp right this second! I’m really sad that I’m not there right now. And then, unfortunately, my mother lost her father and my entire family needed time to mourn. So there I was, with no summer plans, missing my “life before COVID” and of course mourning the loss of my grandfather. I tried to handle most of it on my own because my family was dealing with a lot. I didn’t really talk about what I was going through.
What do you do when you get anxious or scared?
There are times when I definitely get stressed about life right now, but then I talk about it with an adult who I trust and it helps me move on.
Are there any challenges you have overcome through all of this?
My entire friend group fell apart! The pandemic really shook things up between us. There was one girl in particular who carries a strong personality and when we were around her, we weren’t able to be ourselves. The most challenging part was that we let go of that friendship, virtually. Today my friend group is stronger than ever. We feel equal amongst each other, in a way that we didn’t feel before.
“If you want the rainbow, you have to deal with the rain.”
-John Green, The Fault in Our Stars
I’m so grateful to be able to have the opportunity to write what I’m passionate about and what I think will serve others. If you would like me to write about you and your passions for the Braves The Waves Journal, or for your own company, please be in touch.