I often think of the last line of Mary Oliver’s The Summer Day when I’m writing emails at work.

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

But it’s cute and you deserve a little treat!

My mom used to get her flu vaccine every year. Since Covid, she refuses. She won’t get the shingles or RSV either. She told me she is scared that someone will inject her with the Covid vaccine instead of the one she is requesting so she refuses all of them.

Thank you. And thank you for doing the good work of Covid awareness! Many people in my life think I’m still masking out of trauma, but people like you remind me of the risks of illness and the need for community care through your posts. It makes me and others feel less alone/left behind 💜💜💜

Yes! The first questions I got after my dad died of Covid were about his comorbidities, age, and vaccination status. People were desperate to assess their own risk and the extent to which they should feel bad for my family in our grief. It shouldn’t have happened to him or to anyone!

Someone once told me that white women are to teaching what white men are to policing, and I’ve never stopped thinking about it.

I moved from SC to Buffalo a few years ago to prep for climate change. The winter is not as bad as people say, at least in my opinion. You invest in good gear and intentionally rest/hibernate. It’s a lot more consistent and predictable compared to the lottery number temps for winter in the south.

Your daily bugs have been a delight, and now I’m so excited for frog facts!!