As a stereotyped bunch, we teens are not exactly known for patience. We have been brought up to have any fact or trivia at the tip of our fingers with a quick internet search. Gone are the days described by our parents—looking up things in encyclopedias or spending hours struggling with the curious but daunting “microfiche” housed in libraries. Teens have grown up with phones that function as computers. We place call-ahead restaurant orders and get online pre-ticketing for movie theaters. Unlike my parents’ childhood, we are used to a fast-paced world with instant results.

Now we are dealing with new protocols because of COVID-19 and patience is paramount. As teens, we realize the potential severity of this virus and that we must follow the recommended guidelines to keep us safe. As with everyone during this time, teens are frustrated to some extent. We have different “new normals” for school, for sports, for after school activities. There are no hugs in the hallways, no high-fives, no friendly handshakes. Future school events hang in the balance.

So, in comes patience, our new friend. We must embrace patience because there is no alternative. As we wait for this virus to get under control, we long for days that weren’t that long ago. We long for the times when we could drive around with our friends singing to the radio, the times of school dances and pep rallies, even the times we cried with each other and were comforted by hugs. We long for those times again because being human is who we are. For now, patience is our new-found virtue.

Isabella Dussias is a 17-year-old singer-songwriter/composer from New Jersey. She enjoys writing about issues that are important to today’s youth, and she believes music is an important outlet to connect people and share messages through the creativity of lyric and melody. For more information, please visit IsabellaDussias.com.