I love my husband and my son. But I never expected that they would be practically my only companions for seven months in a row. Since COVID-19 hit, we’ve been cooped up at home together, barely going out of the house except for groceries and exercise. I’ve not hugged another person besides them; I’ve barely even seen other people, except for a few close friends.
Though I appreciate that I’m not living alone, as others are during this pandemic, I’m still getting tired of the claustrophobic feeling of only interacting with the same two people day after day. I miss freedom of movement and the people I’d bump into—the woman who manages my office building, the counter-person at my favorite lunch place, and even just smiling strangers I once passed on the street. It feels the loss—and research suggests that it really is, for many of us.
