My 40th birthday is this spring and I planned a destination type get-a-way last year in hopes that things would be better - but things AREN'T better, they are awful. The US is going to hit 1 million deaths from this and NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE. It is truly mind-boggling.

This week, I canceled my birthday vacation. I've received so much pushback from the people I invited I'm wondering how in the world I ever thought I wanted to celebrate a milestone occasion with them - no one had even purchased airfare and they are coming for me like I am ruining their birthday.

They tell me they've had it and it's fine, just some sniffles, a little cough, and then POOF! - you had it so it's all good, you can get on with your life.

I don't understand this logic. I don't understand how people aren't taking this seriously. I don't understand how a vacation is worth risking my long-term health for - because I don't care about being a little sick for a couple of days. I care about the debilitating aftereffects of a virus that is mutating by the second.

I care that last week, a very important person in my life lost her 2 year battle with long-covid and died from an aneurysm bursting in her brain while she tried to sleep off the fatigue.

Do I want to sit on the beach and drink fruity rum concoctions? You betcha.

But I would rather be able to leave my house and go to the grocery store without the fear of someone who doesn't think Covid is that big of a deal possibly disabling me for life.

Until THAT happens, I'll be bunkering down.