Good riddance to 2020, a horrible year of killer wildfires, monster hurricanes, and murder hornets. Worst of all, we continue to fight a cruel enemy, and for the moment, we’re losing. There’s no part of our lives that the pandemic does not impinge upon; there’s no conversation that doesn’t include it. Thanks to Americans’ insistence on large social gatherings and our stubbornness about wearing masks, this winter could very well be our most dangerous time yet. But there is hope on the horizon in the form of vaccines, if we can just behave ourselves for a little while.
Putting all the negatives aside, we can choose to look for some positives to brighten up the approaching holiday season. Yes, it will be very different from other Christmases we’ve had, but I believe we can find some unique “gifts” received as a result of the pandemic.
The first gift that comes to mind (since the pandemic strangely became political) is that our citizenry became re-inspired about the democratic process. For so long Americans have been too casual about voting, just taking our system for granted. But this year we voted in record numbers! And whether you’re happy or disappointed in the results, we can all be proud of the huge participation. This election cycle has shown us that every vote counts.
I think that the restrictions on our activities out in the world have resulted in a greater appreciation of family life. We’ve gotten to know our families better and learned to have fun doing simple things together, like cooking, taking walks, and playing board games.
Since I mention walking, I can’t help but be delighted that many of us started an exercise program out of sheer boredom and the need to get out of the house. I hope this will carry over into a lifetime routine that keeps us all healthier.
Another positive arising from quarantining is that many people visited shelters and brought home a pet to keep them company. Taking care of a furry friend takes us outside ourselves and helps put our problems in perspective. We rescue them and they rescue us right back.
We’ve been taking teachers for granted for far too long, and now parents have told me that — after struggling through at-home learning for so many months — they’re beginning to get a picture of what teachers have to do to inspire learning, and not just in one or two students, but a whole classroom. This newfound appreciation is long overdue.
Covid has forced teleworking into the forefront. Many businesses plan to continue letting employees work from home because they’ve found that their employees are just as productive. This could mean fewer cars on the road and — an added benefit — less pollution.
Yes, Christmas is a time we associate with gift-giving. The pandemic taketh away but it also giveth. What we all need to do is accept that this Christmas should be smaller and quieter, and then just concentrate on the blessings and not the deprivations. It’s only one Christmas; next year we’ll have a vaccine and we’ll all be together again. Mask up, and happy holidays to all!
Kaye West recently retired from the Henry County Library System. She enjoys reading, taking daily walks, and spending time with friends. She lives in McDonough with her husband.
