For many during this pandemic, life could not have seemed any more strange. Life as we knew it was completely different, and we had no end in sight. It seemed as if this could last for years–with some even claiming it WILL last years.

While the pandemic is still far from over, now, with a vaccine, we have new hope. With over half the adult population in the United States having received at least their first dose of one of the three approved vaccines, we hope to have herd immunity sometime this fall.

While we will be continuing to define what this “new normal” will look like, many things are returning to normal already. Sometimes, it’s not the bigger things. Not everything has to return to “normal” at once; we need to celebrate the small victories–the little things you pause while doing and be like, “Oh, wow, I haven’t done this in a year.”

For many students, slight changes have been made. Prom is a great example. For prom to be allowed to happen in many schools and areas, administrators are requiring masks. While many see this as a negative, you have to pause sometimes and decide which is worse–not having these events or wearing a mask to them? I personally would rather wear a mask than miss a prom or graduation.

As a senior in the middle of this pandemic, we have had many things taken away from us. I have chosen to be excited over whatever I get, whether it was like how I imagined it or not. Until we can have our full “normal” back, we have to rejoice in the small wins. These small victories are what will keep us sane until we can one day return to our previous, pre-pandemic lifestyles.