Moving Forward & What We’ve Learned

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Rosemary Alpert, contributing author

The global pandemic has altered our lives in extraordinary ways. We’ve learned to adjust, as best we can, finding ways to stay connected and keep going during unprecedented circumstances. As we begin to move forward, we welcome opportunities to receive the vaccination and reconnect. We have the potential to re-engage with deepening awareness and cooperation. Together, respectfully sharing our gifts as we progress forward.  

Last week, while welcoming close to 1,200 community members immediately after receiving their first vaccination, I thought about how far we’ve come and still have to go. Looking into the eyes of our community, seeing hope, relief and sincere gratitude. With each vaccination, we are making progress, slowly and steadily. This is a monumental task and takes strategic daily planning from Skagit County Public Health to move our community forward in a healthy, safe manner. 

During this time of transition, it is vitally important to remember that we still need to be vigilant: wear our masks, socially distance, wash our hands and continue to support one another with kindness and consideration. This is not the time to let our guard down, but to remember what we’ve learned. 

Let us take a moment and acknowledge how far we have come since last year. What are the lessons we learned? What are the unexpected gifts we experienced? What will we take with us as we move forward? 

I asked the team of amazing vaccinators these questions; here are some of the responses: 

  • “I’ve learned how important and preventative wearing masks are. We’ve had a drastic decrease in the flu this season because of this practice. We must continue to wear our masks, even after being fully vaccinated.” 
  • “Each time I administer a vaccine, I feel like I am injecting hope into each person.” 
  • “I’ve experienced people are more forgiving.” 
  • “This time has given me an opportunity to step up, show up and be fully present for the community.” 
  • “Fills me with hope.” 
  • “I’ve learned how to really look into someone’s eyes.” 
  • “Together, we can accomplish more than we ever thought possible.” 
  • “I’ve learned to slow down, be more patient and appreciate the moment.” 
  • “Grateful to be a part of the team of community all-stars! I will never forget this.” 
  • “Realized how important it is to take each day as a gift and opportunity to be kind.” 

As more community members become eligible to receive their vaccination, we must remember how important it is to be considerate and patient. We still have more miles to travel as we maneuver through this collective journey. Let’s not regress backwards.  

Remember to stay in touch with updated information from reliable sources. Check Skagit County’s website for vaccination availability and information related to COVID-19. For us to move forward, we need cooperation from our entire community, each of us doing our part. If you know of someone who is seeking their first vaccination and does not have a computer, Public Health has a hotline dedicated to scheduling first vaccinations. Call the COVID Vaccine Hotline at 360-416-1500, option 1 for English, 2 for Spanish.  

Each day, while overseeing the post-first dose “Observation Space” at the Skagit County Fairgrounds, I share important “public service announcements.” Most importantly, reminders from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC recommends the following to slow the spread of COVID-19: 

  • Wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth to help protect yourself and others. 
  • Stay six feet apart from others who don’t live with you. 
  • Get a COVID-19 vaccine when it is available to you. 
  • Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces. 
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t available. 

Together, we will move forward, slowly and steadily.

Welcoming in a new norm, where we engage with healthy practices and consideration to support our entire community. Spring welcomes new growth and opportunities to embrace hope.   

“Apple Blossoms” 
©Rosemary DeLucco Alpert, 2017 

Glimmers of Light in the Vaccine Observation Room

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Contributing author, Rosemary Alpert.

It has been almost a year since our lives began to be touched by a mysterious virus, one we now know all too well. We watched the evening news: images of people in other countries wearing masks, something so unfamiliar to our “norm” here in the States. 

Then, we were all affected, in one way or another. A challenging time—filled with a plethora of emotions and stories.  

One year later, we are in the midst of mass vaccinations across the country, offering a glimmer of light for our communities. But we’re also encountering new challenges, as the supply of vaccinations is slow and unpredictable. The monumental need for vaccinations can be frustrating: trying to figure out when, where and how to receive the vaccination is not easy.

“Clicker” ©Rosemary DeLucco Alpert 2021 

Despite these challenges and frustrations, our goal continues to be to get as many people vaccinated as possible. With the supply we received last week, Public Health was able to vaccinate more than 1,100 community members at the Skagit County Fairground Vaccination Site. Community members, mostly 65 and older, received their first vaccination dose between Tuesday and Saturday.  

With a heart full of joy, I greeted each community member after they had received their first dose. In the Observation Room, I spoke with each person as they sat for their 15-minute monitoring period.

Clicking off a fuchsia-colored counter is one of the best jobs I’ve ever had; happily greeting and congratulating each person, feeling the smiles hidden beneath our masks, and seeing the welcomed relief and glimmers of sparkling light shining from their eyes. Once again, each person has a story and reasons why they received their vaccination.  

I asked a few community members how they felt and if they’d like to share a thought while sitting in the Observation Space.

Here are some of the responses: 

“Feels like I won the lottery!” 

“It was frustrating at first, trying to get an appointment. Once we got through, everything has been seamless.” 

“Everyone has been so helpful; you’re all so organized.” 

“I feel so relieved.” 

“I’m grateful and concerned for the communities who don’t have access to technology.”

Glimmers of light are found all around our community: in the eyes of each person who is grateful to receive their vaccination, neighbors checking in on one another, a caretaker or support person bringing an elder to receive the vaccine. Creative community collaboration—each of us doing the best we can—making sure we move forward and stay healthy. 

When you come for your first vaccination, here is a reminder:

  • Bring a form of ID
  • Dress appropriately to receive your vaccine (ex: t-shirt or button up)
  • Bring a coat or blanket, since we keep the doors open for ventilation
  • Consider bringing a book, crossword puzzle, knitting–whatever you’d like as you sit for 15 minutes post-vaccination

We have a safe and welcoming space available for our guests, with local artwork on the walls, calming music and great company. I look forward to greeting you on vaccination day and clicking off the counter!

The vaccination process is an enormous collaborative community endeavor. Information is constantly being updated. For the most updated information in both English and Spanish, please visit the Skagit County Public Health website: www.skagitcounty.net/COVIDvaccine. Please share this information with your friends, especially those who do not have easy access to a computer.  

Seniors Hopeful for a Vaccination

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Post contributed by Jackie Cress, Skagit County staff.

There is a valid question for many people amid this pandemic: When will life return to normal? Perhaps no one in modern times can truly answer this question. We’d have to step into a time machine and go back to one of the number of historic pandemics to really know.

The first recorded pandemic happened in 430 B.C. and here we are today facing this uncharted territory. Most of us could never imagine what has taken place during this Covid-19 time frame. For some, this would merely be a short inconvenience. We hoped that it would pass with warmer weather or as immunities built up. For others, the fear has been almost paralyzing. What we have in common though, is the knowledge that there is hope on the horizon.

Desmond Tutu said “Hope is being able to see that there is a light despite all of the darkness.” As the vaccine supply increases in the weeks and months to come, it is an important step for our senior community. We know that the risk for severe illness with Covid-19 increases with age and older adults are in the highest risk group. Fundamental ordinances have taken place to keep our communities safe such as instructions to stay-at-home, social distance and wear face coverings when in public. Now that the vaccine is becoming more readily available, we can start to imagine life returning to normal. 

There is much credit to our senior community during this time! Instead of accepting a life that can be often isolating, lonely and boring, seniors have adapted, possibly more than any other group and it is inspiring. Seniors have learned to use technology in a time frame that could have left them behind. Seniors have refused to let the institutions that strive to protect them define them into seclusion! They’ve learned to use smart phones, computers and new programs that brought us all together virtually. We’ve played Bingo together, sang along to online concerts and exchanged our every day celebrations and tribulations through technology. It’s nothing short of remarkable.

Our youth seem to learn all technological things in an instant. They’ve grown up not knowing a world without the internet. For them, familiarizing themselves with new electronic components comes naturally. It’s not so easy for us who have seen the birth of the internet which happened around the late 1980’s. Despite these challenges, seniors have adapted in many innovative ways to meet their needs. This alone is a cause to celebrate! These new found life skills will be advantageous even as we start to return to the life we knew pre-pandemic. 

Getting the Covid-19 vaccine is very literally our best shot at rebounding from what has kept us all apart. The vaccine has been rigorously tested world-wide. Side effects are mild and severe side effects are rare. We are all dreaming of when we can share a meal in person, do a crossword puzzle together and hug our friends. This vaccine is Desmond Tutu’s light in this dark time. Vaccine facts can be found on line at CDC.gov website and on Skagit County’s webpage at www.skagitcounty.net/COVIDvaccine. 

Until we meet again, Be safe. Continue to stay at home when possible. Wash your hands frequently. Wear a face covering when in public and most importantly, schedule your Covid-19 vaccination as soon as you are able. 

Eyes of Hope

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Rosemary Alpert, contributing writer. 

Over the past ten months, we have been wearing our masks, washing our hands more than we ever thought we would, strategically getting our groceries, keeping our distance and so much more. A collective community effort to keep ourselves, families and friends healthy.  

Since June, I’ve been looking into thousands of community members’ eyes through car windows while registering them to get tested for COVID-19. First, at Skagit Valley College and now Skagit County Fairgrounds (south entrance, F Barn). Each person has a story for why they are getting tested. Eyes filled with worry, fear, anxiety and deep concern, not only for themselves but for their families too.  

So many eyes. 

Last Thursday, Skagit County Public Health and its community partners worked tirelessly to get our first 1a-eligible COVID-19 vaccine clinic started. The County is working directly with 1a-eligible employers to identify individuals to be vaccinated. Eligible community members were invited and scheduled for a specific time last Thursday and Friday, to receive their first vaccination for the COVID-19 virus.  

From registration to vaccination; a moment in time that I will remember for all of my days. 

I’ve been asked to greet each person immediately after they receive their vaccine: instructing them to sit for 15 minutes post-vaccine, to be observed and make sure that they do not have any reactions. After I shared with a friend and coworker from Skagit Valley Family YMCA about how powerful it is to be a part of this historical time for our County, she said, “You’ve come full circle, starting off being the first person people see when getting tested for the virus, to being the first person they see once they receive the vaccine.” 

Full circle—filled with deep listening, loving-kindness and compassion. 

What profoundly struck me last week, quite unexpectedly, was everyone’s eyes. Each pair of eyes, filled with a sense of relief and gratitude; some glistening with tears, and most of all, eyes filled with HOPE. 

Just as each person has a reason for why they get tested, the relief and appreciation for receiving the vaccine are also deeply meaningful. Some of the responses I heard were: 

“I can’t wait to see my granddaughter.”  

“I have no words. Just so grateful.”  

“Thank you, thank you, thank you.”  

“This gives me so much hope.” 

#OurShotSkagit. Photo taken by Julie de Losada of Rosemary Alpert receiving her first COVID-19 vaccine dose.

Looking into eyes of our community, filled with hope and movement forward. Slow and steady progress.

For a first-hand account, as a frontline worker, I was invited to receive the vaccine. Last Friday afternoon, I received my first shot. After working months, looking into the eyes of our community, I was filled with emotions and gratitude, feeling the light of hope. 

My first thought was my two adult children, who I haven’t been able to see in over a year. My eyes glistened with tears of relief. The only reaction I felt was a sore arm, and the next day, a little tired. I also woke up at 3:38 a.m. the next morning and could feel the vaccine working. It was a wonderful feeling! I visualized the vaccine as golden-healing liquid responding and strengthening my being, heart and eyes full of hope. 

For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, please check out Skagit County Public Health’s website at www.skagitounty.net/COVIDvaccine. You can also read our press release with WA DOH’s latest guidance here: https://www.skagitcounty.net/Departments/Home/press/010721.htm.

Keep It Simple: Self-Care in the New Year

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Article and image contributed by Rosemary Alpert.

The calendar has turned,
a new year’s begun,
here we go 2021!

Stepping into this new year with hope and resilience, slow and steady movement forward, one day at a time. No resolutions, rather, deciding to keep it simple, focusing on daily self-care and compassion.

At least three times a week, I call a dear friend who turned 99 years old last October. She lives in an assisted living facility in Connecticut. Our conversations are brief and meaningful, for both of us. Almost guaranteed, with each call, especially during challenging days of separation and isolation, my friend, Sylvia, shares two pieces of advice: “Put your oxygen mask on first,” and, “You’re dealt a hand, play it out the best you can.” Daily wisdom from an almost centenarian.

The simplicity of this advice resonates within. “Put your oxygen mask on first,” does not mean being selfish, quite the opposite. Rather, it is true self-care. Being full of care for ourselves is vitally important, especially these days. What works for you?

Keep it Simple. Besides making sure to get enough rest, drink plenty of water, wash our hands, and wear our masks, here are a few keep-it-simple self-care thoughts: Let’s notice our breath; be gentle with ourselves; learn our limits; be our best advocate; ask and reach out; express daily gratitude; get outside; however it may be, take super-duper care! Then, we can show up for one another, with more presence and awareness.

Each day, we are gifted 86,400 seconds, a fresh start. Over these many months, when my mind started to turn into a hamster wheel, spinning out of control, I would stop whatever I was doing. Pause, focus, take a few breaths, remember what my friend Sylvia would say, “You’re dealt a hand, play it out the best you can.” One of my daily practices has become starting fresh with each new day. As with any practice, it is an ongoing learning experience. Some days, it’s not so easy. What this advice has offered is a way to appreciate, notice, and celebrate the littlest of moments within the progress of each day. Our accumulation of seconds count!

While working at the COVID-19 testing site, I asked a few coworkers how they keep it simple with self-care. Here are some of their responses…

  • Relax in bed, all propped up with a bunch of pillows, surround myself with snacks and watch Hallmark movies
  • Take a long hot bath
  • Search for painted rocks on hikes with my son
  • Call a friend
  • Long walks by the river
  • Learned how to quilt
  • Walk my dog
  • Quiet meditation
  • Spend time reading and journaling
  • Go for hikes
  • Spend time gardening, getting my hands in the dirt, connecting to the earth
  • Listen to calming music
  • Make dinner with my partner, then watch a funny movie.

Simple pleasures nourish the soul, keep us in the present, and keep us moving forward. Remember my dear friend Sylvia’s advice: Don’t forget to “put your oxygen mask on first,” and each day, do the best you can with your 86,400 seconds.

Happy New Year!!!