Getting the vaccine means a lot to me. It means keeping my family, the people we support at St. Amant, co-workers, friends and myself, safe! This is the first step for all of us to get back to some kind of normal routine. Getting immunized will hopefully allow me to socialize more with family, friends and play baseball without being as worried about COVID-19. During the summer, I play in an outdoor slow-pitch league every week with friends. Many of us have played together for years. Baseball is important to me as a time in my week when I can get exercise, and enjoy good times with friends and family. It’s something I love to do.
At work, I’ve seen a dramatic increase in workload as we evaluate current processes and constantly modify them, incorporating COVID protocols. I’ve experienced a lot more stress at work as I constantly worry about an outbreak that will impact the people we support and my team. We work hard to keep COVID out and keep everyone safe. It’s also frustrating knowing that the people we support are not able to see or be close to all their loved ones.
For those who are hesitant about the vaccine, I respect their anxiety. We all have questions, wondering if the vaccine works, and what are the side effects. If you’re afraid of getting immunized, do your research. Please make sure to base your decision on the facts and look at the bigger picture. I realize not everyone will be able to get safely immunized, but we all need to be open to it. It’s not about us as individuals, it’s about us as a community.
After this is all over, I hope that people will remember and appreciate social interactions, and not take situations or people for granted. Remember how valuable everyone is and look out for each other.
