by Noella Noelophile®
“I’m thankful for everyone here,” commented one member, Wednesday morning, as our local club hosted our pre-Thanksgiving virtual meeting.
Those words have been making me smile, ever since.
Thanksgiving, 2020, looks vastly different than anything we could have imagined, one year ago. Who would ever have thought that traveling to see relatives could be a “high-risk” situation? Or that major events, worldwide, would shut down due to the danger of spreading COVID-19? Or, even, that when you’re out on a walk around your neighborhood, the polite thing to do would be to avoid the neighbors approaching, on the same side of the street?
But in the midst of the unimaginable, there’s hope, resilience and a sense of community.
(Royalty-free image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay
A beloved Christmas parade gets reimagined as a caravan. A favorite crafts fair opens a brand-new online shop. A yearly festival makes their artists’ well-being a priority, while offering free downloadable sheet music and recipes to brighten Christmas season, 2020.
And we have the feeling of better days to come.
Personally, I’m very thankful for all of those. I’ve chosen to self-isolate during the pandemic. As such, I’ll be promoting virtual events, movies, great books, etc. through the Christmas season, in case that’s what’s also happening in your neck of the woods.
Of course, other perspectives are valid, as well.
Even this past week, discussing Thanksgiving travel, a number of people have said, “I’ll take the calculated risk. I want my son to spend time with his grandparents,” or, “I miss my family too much, this is for them,” or, “If it happens, it happens, but I want to see my children.”
Understandable, to all of the above. There are no easy answers here.
Other than to say, stay safe, and Happy Thanksgiving. I’m thankful for you.