“Stay Calm and Carry On” has become a meme, but the spirit that gave birth to that saying is now needed more than ever. We’ve all been stuck in the collective nightmare for about a year now. People haven’t seen their family, friendships have dissolved, and our children have suffered tremendously. I think it may be (past) time for us to start to move on.

Stop opening every conversation with a reference to COVID. Instead of asking if your friend’s school is open or closed, ask them how their kids like school. Give a drasha that doesn’t reference a magaifa. And please stop asking whether you’ve got the vaccine yet!

As the weather gets warmer, there’s no reason we can’t start to rekindle our friendships, whether they are at shul or over Shabbat lunch (in a backyard!). If you have elderly parents, encourage them to come over and watch the grandkids play outside. Take a hike, learn a new sport, do something you never did before. Maybe even have a seder with the extended family.

We have let a tragedy define who we are for too long. It’s clear that we can’t simply ignore it, we need to remain safe, but we don’t need to continue to let it dominate every aspect of our lives. We can finally live a little, finally laugh a little. And please, if you’re outside 10 feet from anyone else, take your mask off so we can all see your beautiful face!