Vaccinated. I felt so many emotions when the shot went in as an individual who is high-risk amidst a pandemic. Gratitude. Hope. Relief. I do not want this post to be about myself, however.
These emotions are for the front line workers who have been fighting against a viral war for over a year. For those who we lost, over 550,000 in America alone, for those who we were not able to save. For those who now have an empty seat at the dinner table. For those who are dealing with the long lasting effects of COVID-19. For the researchers and scientists who raced against time for the sake of our future. For the educators who have faced so much adversity in trying to teach in an online world. For the public health workers who have had to fight misinformation from the public the entire time. For the high risk community who has often felt forgotten or “sacrificial” during the pandemic. For the friends we can soon hug. For the coffee shops that will soon be filled with community versus an eerie silence and curbside pickups. For Zoom screens to turn into connection. For humanity. For everyone. This is for us. Our future.
This is in honor of those who are no longer with us.
This is hope.
Gratitude,
Isabelle