Today marks two weeks since my husband and I received our 2nd vaccination. Today the CDC also announced that we no longer need to wear masks outside in areas that are not crowded.

But even though it may feel like it is over let’s not forget that it is nowhere close to being finished. Countries like India and France are still being ravaged by the disease. Today I am going to be thankful for all those medical researchers who were able to put out a vaccine so quickly, to all those health care workers who put themselves at risk to care for others, To the front line workers who kept our grocery store and restaurants open and lastly to all the people who listened when we were told to social distance and wear masks.

As we start venturing out we need to be mindful that not everyone has been fully vaccinated yet and we should continue to be respectful of people’s personal space and also be respectful that if a private business still has a mask mandate we should continue to abide by those rules.

The sooner we all get vaccinated the sooner we can get back to normal. Getting vaccinated is one of the best ways we can show appreciation to all those people who have made sacrifices of their time, health, and lives this past year.