Four Years Ago

Four years ago today the world shut down for two weeks. If were were honest with ourselves at the time, we would have known the shut down would last much longer than two weeks.

I remember five months earlier when we heard about the strange illness coming out of Wuhan, China and that the country was on a two week lockdown. Vivian, a recent college graduate, said to me she couldn't imagine anything that terrible. 

Then it happened to us.

Around the 40 day mark I was worshipping online at the American Church of Paris and the pastor said the word quarantine is based on the French words for 40 days. Lent is 40 days long. Forty days is a resetting.

Clearly we needed a lot of resetting because 40 days was not enough, either.

So where do we stand 1,461 days later?

At least a year ago the CDC gave up keeping track of cases. About a month ago they officially declared as long as you are fever-free and feeling okay, you don't have to quarantine. It is still advisable to wear a mask in public following  a positive test. Basically, they are matching what people were doing. 

Some people still wear masks. Sometimes you see a reminder to keep six feet apart.

Many days I can forget COVID ever entered our lives.

People are still getting it. Seems to be hitting those who have not had it before. People who thought they were immune. However, hospitalizations are way, way down, and it does not last as long.

The CDC recently recommended people over the age of 65 get a mid-year booster. The rest of us *should* be okay until the fall.

Unlike four years ago, Ashley is planning to graduate from college with the hoopla denied this class when it was high school graduation time. 

We are traveling. Unlike our trip to New Zealand where we acquired free COVID tests, for our trip to Cuba we were advised to bring our own tests.

For much of the time, life has returned to what we were doing just over four years ago. 

One change I noted to someone is that now when you say "I'm sorry I can get together with you, I don't feel well." The response is "rest up, feel better" and not "come anyway." We respect people taking time to get healthy.

Another is that some companies still allow people to work remotely. That has opened up opportunities.