What a thrill! What a lark, to see those magical letters light-up my screen in green yesterday: C-o-n-f-i-r-m-e-d. I had scored an appointment for the first of my two doses of Moderna Covid vaccine. Tears not only welled, they rolled.

One year in to the Covid-19 pandemic. One year since I had been able to truly hug my beautiful young adult son. One year of knee-jerk reaching for my face mask each time I left my home. One year of hearing daily death tolls, daily surges, daily resurgences.

Though the tunnel remains long, there is light. My post-Covid wish list feels slightly more within reach, now. All because of those marvelous eight letters, confirming that I, too, would receive that shot in my arm, that shot at resuming a new normal.