Sarah Warsi

The warmth and summer-like conditions we’ve had this week has certainly been up-lifting coupled with certain outdoor amenities “re-opening” again. I put that in brackets because we’ve been down this road before so I don’t want to get my hopes up too high just yet.

Let’s call it cautious optimism. I’ll take what I can get at this point.

Our government announced this week that if all goes as planned in terms of vaccination rates meeting certain targets, Ontario could potentially see a complete reopening by end of-July/August – a sense of normalcy that we’ve not had in well over a year.

I’d like to think that I have contributed to us reaching that goal when I got my first dose of the vaccine yesterday. Woo hoo.

Now admittedly I was quite nervous and anxious, more so because of all the external factors in play. This quiet, yet deafening cry to get as much of the public vaccinated as quickly as possible to restore normalcy – the unspoken pressure to ‘get the jab’ – is what bothered me a bit at the beginning because I felt that it was clouding my own judgement and perspective on whether it truly was something I was comfortable with getting without it being fed into me. I’m sure I wasn’t alone in this feeling.

In addition, the conflicting information being reported on the efficacy and side effects of certain types of vaccines certainly didn’t help my anxieties and overactive imagination.

So needless to say, I really needed some time to mull it over, and after much consideration and the support of family and friends – many of whom had already gotten it, I felt comfortable enough with getting it. I felt good about doing my part in taking a step towards ‘freedom’. The facility that I went to was also very well run and organized with friendly and hospitable staff, making the experience smooth and comforting.

For those that may still be on the fence about getting it, I understand. Everyone’s comfort level is different and being in the right frame of mind is just as important. For me, it’s about the bigger picture, it’s about looking ahead and wanting to speak a reality we once knew back into existence with the actions we take today.

Love and Blessings,

Sarah