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We have made it to the fourth quarter of 2020 and oftentimes I find myself in awe. The jokes asking, "What will next month bring?" quickly lost the funny. Depending on your interests, there has been a major event that has rocked your world at some point this year and, at times, they seem to have occurred so long ago. “Quarantine time distortion” is a real thing apparently.

Harry and Meghan left the royal family and we cared way too much. The Pentagon released UFO videos and we were just too tired to care. Beyoncé had us hoping we would come home to a large orange box during her Adidas and Ivy Park rollout. Tiger King — free Joe til it’s backwards. Trump was impeached. Australia was on fire. After Kobe and Gianna Bryant’s tragic accident, it seems as if each month found us mourning the loss of another legend.

It’s been an eventful year. And although it seems as if the global pandemic is over, it is not. New York City, once praised for keeping cases low and social distancing high, saw a spike in cases in September, causing public schools to delay opening and some businesses to shut down again. What is to blame for this? Is it the fact that we did not have a national lockdown and some states pushed to open social establishments sooner than earlier? What could have been two months of lockdown across a nation turned into individual states jeopardizing the future of many.

Life as we knew it before March 2020 will never be again. There are businesses that have been in your neighborhood for decades that will never open their doors again. Children have not seen their parents in months due to travel bans. There are family members who did not get the proper funeral services, and weddings that were postponed. Cities, such as New York, have turned into ghost towns as remote work is on the rise. Many companies have declared fourth quarter 2021 as a “possible” physical return date for their employees.

Stopping the spread of COVID cases is truly a group project — and some are not doing their part but expect to reach the finish line without sacrifice. So, if you long for the days that you can pack up and go with your squad without a mask or the lingering fear that you might become infected, continue to stay home. If you miss brunch and mimosas without passing car exhaust getting in your food, stay in. Most importantly, if you care about your older family members and those with underlying health issues who fear simple things like going out to get mail, please stay put.

We are in this together. We can get out of this together. Do your part.