A year ago, life changed for all of us. Speaking for myself, the changes were sudden and unexpected. A worldwide pandemic was not on my “Things to Go Wrong in 2020” bingo card.

Yet here we are a year later, with an end seemingly both in sight and elusive. Vaccines have been developed but are taking more time than originally anticipated to reach people. Economic closings and re-openings seem more in the interest of businesses than the common good. For example, at the time I am writing this, I can go to a restaurant or work out in a gym with a trainer, but I can’t go into a library to check out a book.

To make matters even more complicated, we now have COVID variants that have taken hold in the general community. The effects remain to be seen, but some medical professionals have predicted a third wave coming soon.

In the meantime, I have friends I haven’t seen in person for almost a year, places I would like to go, and things I would like to do that are currently out of reach for reasons of safety and health restrictions. But all of my gripes seem trivial when I think of people on the front lines risking their lives to keep others safe and healthy. I am talking not only of medical professionals, but also grocery workers, delivery people, first responders, and teachers, to name only a handful of people who provide essential services.

For now, I am going to try to look forward to longer, sunnier, warmer days. I will reflect on the past year as a time of personal testing and growth. And it’s time for me to get a new bingo card.