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When my Great-grand baby has had sufficient food she says, “All done.”

When she finishes a nap and wants to get out of bed she says, “All done.”

Well, our government, schools, and most of the population worldwide has said “All done” where the Covid Pandemic is concerned.

Our governor announced last week that we’re no longer in a state of emergency. They’re calling Covid an endemic now, which means that although we haven’t eradicated the virus (and likely never will), we can choose whether we want to wear masks, partake of vaccinations, and go back to hugging our friends and family.

There are even medications now, similar to the antiviral influenza medications that if taken in the earliest stages of infection can shorten the duration and lessen the severity of Covid, should we contract it.

It’s been a long, hard two years dealing with the pandemic and all the unknowns associated with the disease. Certainly, no ‘all-clear’ proclamation will change the on-going fears, loss, and repercussions we’ve suffered.

You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who hasn’t been impacted by Covid in one way or another — either from the long-term effects of having contracted the virus themselves, having friends and family members who’ve had it, or sadly lost a loved one to the deadly disease.

It was particularly disheartening to those of us who thought we’d taken every precaution (staying at home, social distancing, masking, and availing ourselves of 2 doses of the vaccine as well as the booster), only to contract Covid despite our good intentions.

So it was for many healthcare workers who’d put themselves on the frontlines and did everything to protect themselves and their families when they returned home each evening. Many of them are now suffering lingering effects of the illness known as ‘Long Covid’.

Throughout the crisis, not even scientists and ‘experts’ agreed on a single facet of treatment, policies, or the predicted path of the virus.

The unknowns were frustrating to all concerned and devastating to many from a both a financial standpoint and the effects on daily life.

The emotional toll has resulted in even the most stable individuals now finding themselves dealing with depression and anxiety, necessitating the need for medical and mental healthcare.

As is always the case, Covid and all its variants have become the ‘ball’ in a game of political ping-pong.

Pharmaceutical competitors continue to race to the finish line to be the preferred and most prescribed manufacturer and to be the first to find the miracle cure.

But even as we are being told that there is perhaps a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, a new worldwide threat is on the horizon.

Yet another mad man is vying for world domination and this time weapons exist that could obliterate all humanity. As a wordsmith, I pick up on words and the emotions they elicit in all conversations around me.

We weary travelers on the road to recovery from the pandemic are being described as languishing, lacking vitality, melancholy, and simultaneously angry and fearful.

Obviously, if the experts and data controllers have no clue where we’re heading, I have no crystal ball or advice. I can only share with you what is getting me through the day.

I’m doing my best to eliminate negativity and stress. I do that by limiting association with those who bring nothing positive to my existence.

Children with their innocence and optimism bring the most joy to my life. They make me laugh. They have no agenda or preconceived notions. What you see is what you get.

I’m a giver by nature — especially where my family is concerned; but I’ve had to prioritize my time and my energy and learn to say ‘no’ when I find that either my physical or mental strength is waning. My body has betrayed me and said ‘enough’, so this decision became mandatory.

I don’t have the answers other than to say to you —search you heart. Search your soul. Do whatever you feel is right for YOU….not what some government official or news media or anyone else tells you to do.

If you feel more comfortable continuing to wear a mask in public — wear it and don’t mind anyone who points and laughs or criticizes you for doing so. They could be infected or asymptomatic and be very ill within hours.

I’ve never taken a flu shot or been immunized against shingles or pneumonia and so far, that has worked for me.

On the other hand, I felt it selfish not to take the Covid vaccine and the booster because by not doing so, I might put those I love at risk.

I had no side effects from any of the three shots and so far as I know, I’ve never had the virus. That was what I determined was right for me. If your preferences and beliefs differ from mine, your body – your decision.

As we go forward into the next unknown (the threat to world peace), I ask only that you show compassion for those who are suffering in other lands as well as to your neighbor and those around you.

Peace and love begin at home, but as we learned in 2001 you never know when evil and terror will march onto our shores and knock at our door. What you send out into the world comes back to you three-fold.

Make sure you put compassion, empathy, and love into the atmosphere and it will come back to you in your own time of need.

A columnist, author and freelance journalist from Kentucky, Anne Carmichael can be reached at acarmichael07@gmail.com