Thanks so much for the edited to add portion of your post! I’m from a very large family (direct and extended) and I am pretty much the loan ranger of still maintaining extremely militant mitigation protocols since March. I think it helps that I’m a science nerd and in healthcare so I followed the severity of COVID in China right after their New Year celebrations. I saw the videos of people just collapsing in the streets and dying and I knew in my gut it would be here all too soon and it was way more serious then people wanted to admit and still aren’t admitting.

I basically got into several arguments with my siblings and other family members who have grown fatigued (which is entirely disappointing because I will say they were like myself and being militant as well), but mentally I think they’re spent. I’m like you saying “we’ve made it THIS FAR with having to endure all of this, why give up now?” I even had one of my siblings say, “if it’s just a year and some change to protect my family and our entire family we can do it;” now, her kids are back to in person learning, with asking my immunocompromised relative to help watch the kids post school so they can work. My other sibling who lasted in NYC with their family for the entire pandemic, just taps out and relocated to Florida for the next two months of all places just two weeks ago because they “had to get out of their apartment bc they’re all depressed.”

It is entirely discouraging at times as you have noted and I know they’re thinking I’m a lunatic for being so militant still, but I don’t want this thing and I don’t want to be responsible for giving it to anyone else. I don’t want the life of someone else on my hands because I couldn’t mentally tough it out and be selfless. Some people have even said back to me when I’ve said “well would if you get this family member sick who has heart health and immune issues already and they end up alone, hospitalized or worse die because of your selfish behavior?,” and they’re reply was simply, “yes, what would we do if that happens?” As if contact tracing is such a joke no one could pin it on them. Ugh this all sucks. It’s tearing our nation and families apart just off of proper protocol that shouldn’t be controversial.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.