Bittersweet

Today I got the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. It felt bittersweet. I’m grateful for the scientists who worked so hard to develop the vaccines, for the healthcare professionals delivering all these shots, and for everyone who is choosing to be vaccinated. It’s the first step of many for our family to get back up and running, and that feels good. But my 12-yr-old is higher risk for complications from the virus, so nothing really changes for the rest of us until she can get her vaccine. I’ve been expecting to feel a sense of grief watching the trees flower again, coming up on Easter again. Now we’re looking at another lonely summer as well—at the least—and I’m already starting to grieve that too.