Tomorrow, March 13th, will mark one year since South Carolina entered a state of emergency as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. I’ve been reflecting this week on just how very different life is today as opposed to one year ago, and I wonder how many of the changes that we’ve implemented will remain the “new normal” after society fully reopens. Although it has not been easy to adapt to life as we now know it, I think that there will be some long-term good that comes from this!

For instance, much of the work we do at Mike Kelly Law Group—including depositions, mediations, court hearings—now takes place over Zoom or WebEx, and soon we should be able to attend Social Security Disability hearings via video-conferencing as well. Before COVID-19, attorneys like myself regularly traveled all over the state to appear at these events in-person; I suspect that even when the pandemic is long behind us, virtual attendance will be much more commonplace due to its sheer convenience.

One thing that is simply amazing to me is that, at this one-year mark, I am able to say that I will be eligible for my second vaccine next week. Although the past twelve months have, in some respects, felt infinitely long, the progress that we have made during this time in terms of understanding and combatting the COVID-19 virus is truly incredible. This week, the CDC issued its first set of guidelines for fully vaccinated people, and while we certainly won’t be resuming our pre-pandemic lives in the immediate future, the vaccine offers limited freedoms that will make a world of difference. Perhaps most importantly, it will allow families and loved ones to safely reunite after a year of isolation.

Gradually, things are starting to look up, and even better days are just around the corner! In the meantime, let’s do our part by staying safe, following CDC guidelines, and taking the necessary precautions to stop the spread of COVID-19!