Another step in our journey back to normalcy, or at least our version of normal

I had heard about these places. You go in, sit down and then they bring you food.

Folks call them restaurants.

The experience was a distant memory until recently. Last weekend, my family was able to dine out for the first time in about 15 months. Actually, 448 days to be exact.

It was another step in our journey back to normalcy. Or at least our version of normal.

As parents of a special needs child with complex medical issues, the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we lived our day-to-day lives. My wife and I worked from home for more than a year. Our youngest spent her entire school year of sixth grade on remote education. We limited our visits to grocery and department stores. We did not entertain friends and family like we normally would.

It’s what we had to do. We had to limit the risk of exposing our daughter to a virus that would have a far greater impact on her than the majority of the population.

There were certain things we felt like we had to avoid, like dining out. It was just an adjustment. If we wanted something from our favorite restaurants, we would take advantage of carry out or delivery options.

There were certainly the days that we felt isolated or frustrated. There were days we would have liked to celebrate a special occasion at our favorite dinner spot or just simply go out for breakfast. But I saw it as irresponsible. Why would I do something like go out to eat when I am asking my employer to work from home and asking my 12-year-old to sacrifice not being able to be with all of her friends at school?

Debate me all you want about the COVID-19 pandemic. We made decisions we felt were best for our family, and we are all healthy.

Now we are vaccinated,

Now we can make the transition to our normal.

And it was nice to be able to sit down with family at a restaurant, and enjoy a good steak and the experience. I am sure my wife enjoyed the break from cooking. But it also reminded me of what it was like when I was a kid. Going out to eat was special, it was a treat. We didn’t go to restaurants a ton when I was young, but I remember always looking forward to it.

Dining out last weekend felt like when I was a kid. It was something we have looked forward to.

It could be another reminder to not take anything for granted, even if it’s something like just going out to a restaurant.

Contact Frontiersman managing editor Jeremiah Bartz at editor@frontiersman.com.