This past week my family and I finally got to go a vacation we had put off for more than two years. (Stupid COVID) Anyway, we had to have our entire family tested before we would be allowed to go and the testing place didn’t have any rapid test available so we had to wait 1-3 days for our results to come in. Ugh, I had a hard time pushing the rising nerves that came with every hour that past away. If any of us tested positive our trip would be over before it had even begun.

Late the evening I received the email we had been waiting for, but for some reason I struggled to open it right away. Even though none of us seemed sick, I’d heard stories of people testing positive with no symptoms. I wasn’t sure if my heart could take it if the unthinkable happened here. Each result required a corresponding birthday to open so I took several minutes before we all knew whether our trip was a go or no-go, and of course my name ended up being last. I look back on it now and laugh over how hard my heart was beating in that moment. It really wasn’t life or death, but it sure felt like it. Everyone coming back negative is what I imagine winning the lottery feels like.