What’s Happening: A Holiday Season Like No Other

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has been the source of much headache, anxiety, and grief for many. But now, as we enter the holiday season of 2020, it seems that again, the virus will have its way.

For many this means a drastic change in what most would consider to be the most important time of year: a time where we spend together with good food and with good company. Today, we are limited. No big gatherings. No busy Christmas shopping. We’ll be taking our family meals to go. And so on.

After all, it’s for a good cause. To say that the year has been endlessly challenging is something of an understatement, and it wouldn’t make sense to make it any worse from the undue tragedy of another wave of infections and deaths. 

It doesn’t have to be all bad. The holiday season has always been about remembering to value what’s important in our lives. While they were nice, we didn’t need the big turkey dinners or the gift exchanges for that. What matters most is that we stay connected.

For those willing and able, there are a lot of ways this holiday season can be made a bit better and a bit more hopeful while staying safe. If you’re with your family, nothing is stopping you from having a good time amongst yourselves! If you’re careful and smart about it, you can even try to have a small gathering with due diligence. I’ve attached a link below with details on how to do that safely.

But let’s not forget those who will be going through the holidays alone. It’s a tough position, but it matters as well and there’s hope. It’s super easy to feel lonely (we didn’t need the pandemic for that!), but with the power of the internet and a little creativity, some measure of normalcy and connection is still possible as it always has been.

Remember, at the end of the day, the meals, the gifts, the get-togethers, they’re great, but they aren’t essential. What is essential is our safety and our connection with others. Lucky for us, pandemic or not, we can still have a go at it. 

Happy holidays, folks.

How to have a safe holiday get-together, according to the CDC
Going to be alone for the holidays?