As someone who lives alone, I found the early days of the pandemic challenging. But as time wore on, I became accustomed to a new routine of walks before logging on to work in the morning, and walks at noon and in the evening. While the anxiety of the pandemic was a constant white noise, I was more intentional about the practice of gratitude, especially for my health. The pandemic taught me about the stillness inside myself, a fullness and aliveness that knows how to be, even in the glory of watching a sunset alone. The beauty of nature was the one attraction always open during the pandemic, and my appreciation for wild and wondrous spaces deepened in a way I might never have known possible. I now make ample time for solo walks, excited to encounter myself and the natural world anew each time. —Jenny Kuderer, Goodview, Minn.

On turning inward I am an extroverted mother of five and grandmother of 12. The pandemic, surprisingly, made me appreciate staying home, expecting no one and doing little. People of all ages who went into lockdown came out approximately two years later and changed in some way. I believe seniors aged more quickly — slowing down came naturally, cleaning up became less necessary, and the couch fit too well. I could have read books, exercised and decluttered my surroundings. I did not. I commiserate, wrote a weekly whining observation and aged. I did not return as a fine wine or a nuanced bourbon — more old-fashioned with a bitter twist of lemon. Getting out there, more and more, does feel better every time. But it seems to take more effort. — Lynn McIntosh, Columbia, Mo.