This week marks one year since we went into lockdown. I still remember March 13, my last day in the office, well. We packed up a few files to bring home and assumed we would be back in just a few weeks.
March 2020 felt like the longest month. I was very grateful to have my two college kids home to shelter in place with. My husband is a residential real estate finance attorney and has been in Manhattan to receive client files every day since the pandemic started. My kids and I were vigilant about our COVID safety practices and sheltered in place, other than walks in the woods near our home, those first months.
As the weather warmed up and I could be outside more, especially at the Jersey shore, life was good. I spent the summer on my porch writing Your Fairy Job Mentor’s Secrets for Success each morning.
Winter is my least favorite season. I dread the short days and despise frigid weather. By January both my kids left to live near their colleges and to return to some semblance of normalcy, although their classes remained remote. It was just me and my dog with lots of client calls and Zoom trainings throughout the day. COVID fatigue definitely began to set in.
As people close to me, including my Type 1 diabetic husband, got vaccinated and I was almost one year COVID-free, I definitely relaxed some of my safety protocols, especially around people I knew well. The delusion of familiarity! This past Monday I tested positive for COVID. Luckily, other than exhaustion and body chills the first two days, I feel ok. Hopefully my symptoms will stay mild.
I felt compelled to share this with you just in case it saves you from making the same mistake I made—letting COVID fatigue override best practices. Yes, even one year later COVID is still a threat!
I do believe there’s a light at the end of this tunnel. Ironically, I received an email from my primary physician at NYU on Tuesday afternoon saying that I now qualify for the vaccine. If only I had kept myself safe for a few more days! For those who have not yet been vaccinated, I hope you can learn from my mistake and keep up the good practices and consciousness you employed when you first realized COVID was a real threat.