I have received my first dose of the Moderna vaccine and am scheduled for my second and final one today.

There are no words as to how it feels to know I am on my way to being protected against COVID-19.

Mom and dad have gotten both of their shots, and boy was it a relief. I am fully vaccinated and ready for a hug.

My oldest daughter took advantage and went to give them one — the first in over a year. Baby girl did the same when she came home for a visit.

This week, the last segment of the NBC Nightly News program covered some grandparents receiving hugs from their grandchildren for the first time in over a year. Admittedly, it was a bit of a happy tear-jerker, especially when you saw families that lived miles apart. They had not only missed out on a hug, they had not had the opportunity to see one another in person.

This pandemic, as we all know has changed our world. I guess the question will be if it was for the better.

Certainly, there have been incredible acts of kindness we have all witnessed. Remember all the men and women who made hundreds of masks for first responders?

And what about those first responders? They have had to be like the Energizer bunny and  just keep on going and going and going the extra mile to take care of those in need.

Also, there are our community leaders who have worked hard to keep the public safe. Making decisions that everyone does not agree with has to be a daunting task. I wonder how many times they may have asked themselves if they were doing the right and best thing.

Our school systems have also done an incredible job during the pandemic. I watch news segments where parents and teachers are at odds because the kids only have access to virtual learning.

Well, this little Mississippi town did something right. And I’m sorry major news outlets did not pick up on it. 

Both Porter’s Chapel Academy and Vicksburg Catholic School went the extra mile to keep their students safe in school, and the Vicksburg Warren School District allowed parents to make the decision of whether or not to let their child go back into the classroom or take part in distance — or virtual — learning. 

And our churches, boy have they had to adjust their mission. Keeping in touch with their congregations from afar, not being able to get close and console someone during a painful time and of course moving to virtual worship services.

Kindness, going the extra mile, doing what is best, meeting the needs of children and keeping the faith — in my opinion, if we can just hang on to what we’ve witnessed and experienced this past year, this COVID-19 will have certainly made us for the better.