It is March.  It has been one year.

I distinctly remember March 2020 and having conversations about how stupid this all was, that there was no way we were going to lockdown, that we wouldn’t be talking about this “Corona Virus” by May.  I remember trying to navigate running a business as the world was shutting down.  I remember being grateful that we were considered essential and were able to open our doors again right away.  I remember wondering if people would return after the lockdown and thankfully you all did.  This last year as been full of some very low low’s, lots of gratitude, hard conversations, fatigue, being less busy, being more thankful for the small stuff, lots of question marks and a daily ‘WTF’ moments.

As a healthcare provider February 2021 has been especially interesting.  It started strong as vaccines were rolling out and I started to see hope again for the first time in almost a year.  It was so refreshing.  The days started to get easier as conversations changed from fear and stress, to hope of what is to come.  Then as the last week of February hit, there was a distinct change again in people.  I believe that as March got closer to us, and we realized it had been a whole year since this pandemic had started, the weariness in people started to return.  People talked more of the sadness of what was lost and the anxiety of how much longer we still must go.  

It’s ok.  I feel it too.  

We’ve gone from sidewalk chalk messages of hope, 8pm howling sessions, and intense gratitude for our front line and essential workers…to most everybody just trying to survive.  We’ve found the good where we could.  We’ve mourned what we lost.  We’ve been hopeful that there’s still a version of normal to come.  

And now, as we go into March and the year anniversary of this f*cking pandemic, I just want to remind you that it’s ok to feel tired.  It’s ok to feel like you’ve just run the longest race of your life and you just don’t know how much further you can go.  It’s ok to love your family but be sick and tired of being home with them.  It’s ok to know others might have had it hard in other ways, worse ways, but to still give yourself credit for the hard that you survived.  It’s ok to pat yourself on the back for making it this far.  It’s ok feel whatever you feel.  

And when you are done feeling all of that.  Then it’s ok to get back to hope.  To get back to planning your summer, daydreaming of concerts, planning family reunions, and imagining what life will be like on the other side of this sh*tshow. It’s ok to say you’ve done your part and now you’re ready to take your life back.  It’s ok to make your own decisions about the vaccine and it’s ok to respect the decisions others are making too.  It’s ok to be excited to get back to baseball games but also wonder how it will feel to be in a crowd again.  It’s ok to jump back in with both feet, and it’s ok to take your sweet time.

It’s going to be ok.  I’m proud of you.  I’m proud of us.  And I can’t wait to take these masks off and see your smiling faces again.  Thank you for the last year.  Thank you for trusting us.  Thank you for letting us help you navigate this hard time.  And thank you for all the support you’ve shown us too.  

As my mom always says, we’ll get there from here.  So, until we do, know it’s ok to feel whatever you feel, and know we’re proud of you for making it a full year!  Well done you.  Better times to come.  

And as always: F*ck you Covid.