The past 14+ months have been a period of loss and sadness. Even if you and your loved ones have remained healthy and employed, the pandemic has impacted all our lives. Now that over 200M people in this country have received at least one dose of the vaccine, 87M people are fully vaccinated, and the vaccine is available to anyone over 16 who wants it, we are on our way to a new chapter. But we still need to get to at least 70% for herd immunity and continue with precautions.

I don’t want to appear Pollyannish as we look to the future, but let’s ask ourselves what good has come out of this past year.

Have you had more quality time and connections with your family being home so much?

Have you found new ways to connect and celebrate milestones with family and friends at a distance?

Have you simplified your life and decreased your consumption?

Have you found new hobbies or restarted old ones?

Have you spent more time reading and learning?

Have you spent more time outside enjoying nature?

Have you explored cooking new foods and eaten healthier at home?

Have you become a kinder person, more caring about your community and people you don’t know?

Have you come to know and appreciate your co-workers in new ways after working together through tough times, and perhaps meeting their kids on video calls and hearing their dogs bark in the background?

Have you converted your work commute into something positive for yourself?

Have you spent time reflecting on your career and what truly is important to you?

I hope you can answer yes to many of these questions. I know I can.

What I have missed most is spending time with my daughters and their families. Now that we are fully vaccinated, we’ve had dinner together at our houses without masks just like old times. Those first long hugs are priceless! My husband and I celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary by going to one of our favorite restaurants – something we hadn’t done in 14 months. We are making plans to travel later this year. And I look forward to hearing live music and seeing a play again someday.

Our lives have changed. It is not back to normal or business as usual. We will all find a new normal. Hopefully, it is a better, brighter one. Treasure the good in your own life and do what you can to help build a better, brighter future for all. And for you and those you love, get your shot!

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