This is the scene on 15 April 2021 at the Times Union Center, downtown Albany, during my post-vaccine 15 minute waiting period. This is my second vaccination (Moderna). I bumped into an old friend who was volunteering at the site, and she gave me instructions for signing up to volunteer. My wife also signed up. We have yet to volunteer, but we're looking forward to it. I imagine it will be guiding people, maybe doing intake, etc.
April 23, 2021
I'm a mom of 3, widowed for 11 years. 2020 was the year that my daughter would be entering her second year working in NYC, my middle one was supposed to start and finish HVAC training and be on his way in a career, and my youngest was to have his senior year of high school with all of it's rites and then head off to college, something he is very ready for. My daughter's been with us from NYC in March, where she worked from home. Furloughed, she decided to go to back to grad school. She's leaving in 2.5 weeks. I worry she will get sick 800 miles from home. 2020 was to be the year that my older son started his HVAC career training. He is now supposed to start it in one month. I worry it will get cancelled again. I worry he will get sick at his current food service job (that I've asked him to stop going to) and not be able to start, or infect one of us... and maybe keep his sister and brother from leaving - or worse. I worry he will get sick once he starts his program. 2020 was also supposed to be the year that my youngest launched to college. Right now, he has no idea if he will begin his college work while living in a dorm in Phila or our kitchen table. I worry about him being on his own in the dorm, and getting sick. I worry that if any one of my kids has to go to a hospital, they will be alone. I worry that they will lose me, their only surviving parent. I repeatedly say, if this is all we have to deal with, I'll take it - just inconvenienced and life delayed a bit. I don't see these fears letting up until we are all safely vaccinated. I don't sleep much anymore.
July 14, 2020