2020: Valentine’s Day was approaching, fast on the jingly heels of Christmas. Cardboard hearts of lackluster chocolates replacing candy canes and Hershey stocking stuffers. My holidays were dampened by the onset of flu — the regular one — despite having dutifully sat in CVS for my vaccine early in the fall. Daughters were here from Brooklyn, Florida, and London. And my adored granddaughter. It should have been perfect, but we cancelled friend gatherings and huddled over our presents, me with fever and fatigue.

The real love fest was going to be my daughter’s (Brooklyn) wedding in June. A family affair at our summer enclave in Maine, it had been planned out in fabulous detail by my daughter. An oversized beach house to accommodate our family and her closest BFFs. Sixteen total. A beach wedding, feasting on lobster and oysters, followed by a lazy week at the beach. Engaged at 40, Emma had given a lot of thought to the details. And I couldn’t wait to see her married to her love.

Before the roses arrived, I was uneasy about a planned trip to London. This virus thing–the new one–maybe I should wait til later in the year to travel. And then, everything tumbled sideways. Emma, always a mistress of detail, announced that it didn’t look good for a June wedding. Just like that, the wedding was bounced to 2021.

2021: They came and went. Another Christmas. New Year’s. Valentine’s Day 2021. In our corner of the world, instead of winter wonderland white snow, we had long grey days of rain. Chill. Damp and discouraging. But before you say: WTH do I want to hear about this?

Because, things can change. They do change. For the worse. Note all of 2020 and the years of horror at the White House. They change for the good, as well.

Just like that — well not really just like that because a landmark election had to happen — vaccines were surfacing. People were getting jabbed with the life saving stuff.  Not a health worker or first responder and not old enough to make the early ranks, I waited. My daughter took stock and said that her wedding is on. She and her fiancée, in New York, were able to schedule their vaccinations. And boom…I got mine.

The stinging prick in my shoulder set me free.