thankful to be celebrating another birthday

This past year has been difficult but Mich is healthy and she’s about to get her second covid vaccination. Because of one lock-down or another, and restrictions on her household, we haven’t been able to go for as many walks with Mich as I’d like. At the same time, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Not everyone in Mich’s household has been as fortunate as we have been.  

I realize a lot of people are tired of lockdowns, and I completely understand that. I’m pretty familiar with the challenges of social distancing, but the alternative is fairly stark. I think dealing with the challenge of losing someone close to you this past year, in addition to handling the restrictions of the pandemic, is exceedingly difficult. This is what Mich is facing right now. Recently she lost her roommate and friend, Doug. Even though they didn’t always get along, I know she cared about him and was glad to have him in her life.

As restrictions are gradually lifted and we all begin to enjoy our new-found freedom, instead of cursing stay-at-home orders perhaps we can take some time for gratitude. If you’re able to look around and hug the people you love most, please consider yourself lucky. We’re lucky to be alive, and we’re lucky to have access to a vaccine that can protect us from covid. We’ve still got a long way to go before everyone can feel equally fortunate.