Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

I spoke with an esteemed colleague yesterday about life after the unfortunate realities of living (almost) through a pandemic. In a word, she implored the time is Now for action. No more waiting for this or that. We don’t know what might impact plans and might not want to know our future down to the daily details … but waiting, delaying, procrastinating, in light of what we’ve experienced, is no way to live our lives going forward.

We have gone from tracking mask purchases to infections to deaths to vaccines approved to purchased to administered. Thank you Johns Hopkins. We have tracked economic impact and societal inequities exacerbated. We have watched overwhelmed front line workers and medical professionals stretch their Hippocratic oath to its limits and wept as so many lives have ended well before their closest expected they would.

What else did we lose? A year (and counting) of freedoms, breathing “easy”, dreams unrealized, social gatherings evaporated or severely dampened, hugs and kisses, babies born and raised but not shared for fear of infection.

How many times will we have to learn we are not out of the woods until vaccinations reach a scientifically agreed upon level and until then we need to follow basic rules drummed into our heads for 400 days?

What do we need to do NOW?

•Take action

•Live a full life incorporating lessons learned through observation and reflection in whatever level of quarantine you have endured

•Listen to the experts while avoiding paranoia

•Plan your best future

•Celebrate each day as a blessing, identifying the good, the positive – from the small wonders to the enormous victories

Have a blessed weekend!