We really need a normal year. Like everyone else, our world was significantly disrupted in spring of 2020. Our kids were out of school. Our jobs were chaotic (wife manages clinical trails, I work in the healthcare industry). We were terrified about what could happen if we had a coronavirus infection in our home. I was high risk after spending much of my adult life as a smoker, and my daughter was having crazy-high fevers every few days. We were worried her fevers might indicate some more serious underlying issue.¹

We isolated in our home, dutifully wore our masks, and practiced social distancing. We did everything we were supposed to. The problem is that a lot of people didn’t do those things. Even after a year or so, our kids were still secluded in their home, my son having been in virtual classes for all of his first grade year. Our neighbors had all grown complacent, my son could certainly hear the screaming and shrieking of the kids in adjacent yards playing. Our hearts regularly broke for our children through all of it.

And then there were vaccines. Finally.