Familial love is a precious thing; it can form a part of our identity, keep us grounded in our cultures and traditions and provide us with unconditional support and guidance. The pandemic, which altered many aspects of our lives, has also affected people’s relationships with family members. At NYU Abu Dhabi, three students spoke about the effects of the pandemic on their relationships with their families. Through these stories, we understand the value of being with family in person and the possibilities for when we reunite with them in the future.

“I have been away from my parents for about one year and about a year and a half from my extended family and my siblings,” said Mohammed Muqbel, Class of 2023. “I was supposed to go back to Jordan in order to meet my family again and have a relaxing time, but I wasn’t able to go because flights were a bit too difficult and it was risky going back, even though I really wanted to see my family.”

Similarly, Baraa Al Jorf, Class of 2023, has been away from his family for about a year due to travel restrictions, and being away from them for so long reinforced his love and desire to be reunited with them. “I am pretty excited that I’m going back to my family,” Al Jorf said. “I don’t think the disruption was actually something that ruined my relationship with my family; we still talk daily on social media so we’re good. Actually, since I’ve traveled away, my relationship with my family, in a lot of ways, has improved… It’s becoming healthier.”

Like Al Jorf’s relationship with his family, Muqbel revealed that he has grown much closer to his family than he was before the pandemic. “I think the result of this in person disconnection is that it actually, controversially, has strengthened my connection to my family… I think, really, the pandemic was a blessing in disguise.”

Al Jorf also reflected on how the disconnect from family members may have been more challenging for those with families in countries that were less affected by the pandemic, those without lockdowns or stringent social distancing. “I think if my parents were living in a country where people were still allowed to gather, I would feel bad because I’d feel like I was missing out on a lot of stuff,” Al Jorf stated. “I guess that’s the experience for a lot of people.”

Thais Alvarenga, Class of 2023, from Honduras, has been away from her family for more than a year and has not been able to go back due to extensive travel restrictions in Honduras. “I’m basically trapped here because of Covid-19 and my parents can’t come and visit because the airports are closed back home,” said Alvarenga. “We wouldn’t talk that much because we were far away and I was not going back.”

Alvarenga also reflected on how strange it has been for her parents to be detached from what is going on in her life. “They don’t know what’s going on here and that’s a very weird idea for me because I’m used to them always knowing what’s happening in my life, but now I have to actively tell them,” she explained. Alvarenga really misses her parents, and she emphasized that she only wanted to go back to Honduras so she could see them in person.

“I just want to see my parents in real life,” said Alvarenga. “I think it was yesterday that it finally hit me that I’m going to probably spend Christmas alone. I’ve never spent a Christmas without my mom and dad. They’ve always been there, and they’re not going to be there anymore.”

The impact of the pandemic on people’s relationships with their families is a remarkable one; while there is a disconnect from one’s parents and the feeling of missing out, there are also surprisingly positive effects of being away from family. There is a lot we can learn from how quickly things turn around, such as how fastly a relationship can deepen, how familial love is so precious, and that family forms a fundamental part for many of our lives. We learn to love and appreciate our family even more.