It’s amazing how much your outlook on life can change in just a few months. In January, I wrote about the stresses of being in quarantine, and it seems the tides have turned.
There is hope on the horizon. Do you feel it in your community? I sense it when I hear people talking about receiving their vaccine. Maybe you’ve sensed it when seeing both friends and strangers alike proudly sharing photos of their COVID-19 vaccination record cards. 
One friend posted on Facebook “I voted!” as he proudly held his vaccination card and a round sticker that said, “I got my COVID-19 vaccine.” And although he was adding a bit of humor to the situation, the correlation between the pride in being vaccinated and the pride in voting wasn’t far-fetched. It feels good after so many long months of a pandemic to have an opportunity to get the vaccine, and we continue to get closer to everyone having that opportunity.
Those who are fully vaccinated can gather indoors – without physical distancing or wearing masks – with other people who are fully vaccinated. Vaccinated people can also be with unvaccinated people from one other household (unless any of those people or anyone they live with has an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19), according to the CDC.
After a yearlong stream of CDC guidelines, I consider any bit of positivity in the guidelines a win. That bit of good news, along with the warmer weather that comes with springtime, is powering positive vibes lately. Not to mention the uptick in job openings for communication professionals, which several WPC members have noticed. Just take a look at the job leads in our newsletter, or follow WPC on social media (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn) and see for yourself. Having a professional communicator on staff is critical for any organization. I realize I’m preaching to the choir with that fact!
– Darcy Gray, WPC president