COVID vaccine, spring combine for a powerful shot in the arm

Never has a shot in my arm felt like such a literal shot in the arm.
I was one of the lucky ones last week, getting a second COVID shot during the MCHI vaccination clinic at the Bremer Center. I felt guilty, to be honest, knowing that I should be well down the list of folks in line to get the vaccine. A month earlier when they had a few extra doses left over at the end of the day I got the green light millions of people are waiting for, so I didn’t hesitate to say yes.
I have no qualms with anti-vaxxers who for whatever reason choose NOT to roll up their sleeves. The three vaccines were clearly rushed to the masses, and if you are of child-bearing age, have underlying health conditions or simply don’t believe this is part of the cure, I respect your decision. For me, it seems like the best clear path I can take to get back to really living, so I’m all in.
I’m sick and tired of the vaccine/mask debates, frankly, and have gained a different perspective this last year about the growing need to respectfully disagree. After all we’ve been told, “absolute truths” seem less absolute than they once did.
What I do know is that the upbeat mood at the Bremer Center was palpable, and contagious. Even behind masks, you could see the bright and cheery look in people’s eyes that there is finally hope and light at the end of this long, dark, horrific pandemic tunnel. Some talked about hugging their grandkids, some talked about losing the masks and getting back to their routine, and all shared a genuine sense of optimism that’s been missing for an entire year. I’m excited for the day our nation and world will share that optimistic outlook, though unfortunately the wait will be a few months longer for many.
Speaking of waits, I haven’t hugged my 85-year-old mother since November of 2019. Family is everything to Mom, as it is to most of us, so the weekly phone calls (from only four hours away) and occasional family Zoom meetings have been precious, but they just aren’t the same. Now that she, my wife and I have been vaccinated, she will be joining us for Easter in what will be a glorious reunion.
I share these thoughts not to boast that we were among the lucky first recipients, but to reflect on just how painful this whole episode has been in so many ways. It’s left some emotional scars for me, many of my friends and family, and perhaps you, and those will take time to heal. 
The powerful dose of reality I got from last week’s shot in the arm is that with the arrival of vaccines, spring and the glory of Easter on the horizon, that time is now. 
-- Kurt Johnson