It was exactly one year ago from today that we were driving back from our spring break in Mexico when we started to get notifications of things starting to shut down due to COVID. We were disappointed. We were frustrated. And more than anything, we were naive. We thought we would do our part for one month and flatten the curve and we would be good to go. We couldn’t have been more wrong.

One year. That’s a long time and to be honest it feels like so much longer than a year. I’ve had moments of bliss where we’ve been able to really focus and connect as a family and I’ve had emotional breakdowns, crying on the floor of my closet. It’s a pendulum, baby!

Today…I’m grateful that grocery stores no longer look like empty warehouses and I’m grateful to no longer fear being able to find what our family needs.

I’m grateful we had very mild cases of the virus.

I’m grateful for so many I know that have been able to get the vaccine.

I’m grateful our school district listened to the voice of the parents and opened schools for those who felt comfortable attending and prioritized vaccines for teachers.

I’m grateful for the hope that our future is bright and not controlled by COVID. I look forward to the day when the virus doesn’t consume conversation, news articles and politics.

One year down, we’ve got this.