As the world continues to get vaccinated and the hope of herd immunity seems increasingly possible with each passing day, many of us are left wondering if we will pick right back where we left off. Handshakes and enthusiastic hugs and pats on the back may not be a thing of the past, after all. We will get right back up and dust ourselves off after this collective fall we’ve taken. Businesses will once again flourish. Strangers and friends alike will once again greet each other and say goodbye with an embrace. Loved ones will be able to sit elbow to elbow at the dinner table without worrying about the pandemic. But this won’t happen overnight. The path to get back to a semblance of how we used to be will be gradual; it will take time to heal the wounds and emotional toll we have collectively endured. But we will emerge stronger and more resilient than ever. The best gift we can give ourselves — and each other — is to live our life to the fullest and treat each day like it’s our last.
