Lately, I've heard more and more discussion of "the pandemic skip" phenomenon. People are coming to realise that the years of normalcy "lost" to the pandemic puts them in a different stage of life that they fail to identify with. This is a prevalent discussion amongst women in their 20s or 30s who feel far from ready for the next chapter, whether that's moving out, marriage or having kids. Moreover, this is especially pointed for women who feel pressure to 'settle down' as their 'biological clock is ticking' rather than having the time to work on themselves and grow into the person they want to be first.
I think this feeling may give a small insight into the experience of people whose lives were turned upside by chronic illness at a young age. What if two years mostly housebound, missing out on socialising and doing what you love, turned into five... or six.... or nine?
This is the reality many of us face with chronic illness. Well before the pandemic, I have written about feeling closer to the age I was when I got sick than the age I am now - something else synonymous with "the pandemic skip."
I am not saying in any way that people living with chronic illness cannot have beautiful, fulfilling lives, but rather highlighting a shared experience amongst many of us who got sick in teenhood and early adulthood.
Maybe "the pandemic skip" can offer some understanding of just how soul crushing the feeling of lost time truly is. Having no choice but to accept a starkly different reality than the one you had planned for and worked towards is far from easy.
I hope for you that ultimately the difficult years enable you to cherish moments once taken for granted and that losing time doesn't stop you from becoming exactly who you were meant to be.
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