With over 11 million cases and over 250,000 deaths, I can only imagine how these numbers will increase over the holiday season. The holidays, for me, have always revolved around seeing my family: eating meals with them, giving gifts, watching holiday movies, laughing together. While it will be heartbreaking to not experience these moments in the typical ways this year, it is necessary. There are ways we can still celebrate the holiday season with our loved ones while also not putting them or ourselves at risk to the virus.
While it may not be the same as visiting someone, sending them a gift or just a card can make their day – and yours. Since I haven’t been able to visit my grandparents this year as frequently as I typically do, I decided to send a card to them – not for any special occasion, just because I missed them. My grandma was so delighted by this, and her reaction made me so glad I did it. This revealed to me that we don’t just need to see our family members to remind them how much we love and care about them. In fact, we show this during the pandemic by not visiting them as often, which protects them from possible infection. So, perhaps this season, we can send holiday cards, presents in the mail, or drop them off a freshly baked dessert at someone’s doorstep, as a way of saying we miss them, love them, and care about them.
The safest way, however, is to of course stay as quarantined as possible and to not leave your home at all if you are fortunate enough to able to do so. A great alternative to gathering loads of people in one space for the holidays is Zoom. My family has utilized this quite a bit over the past months, meeting over it for more than a few birthday celebrations or just for a spontaneous game night. Think about it this way – and I know all of my fellow introverts out there will connect with this more – we can all stay in the comfort of our own homes! With Zoom, you don’t have to worry about traveling or getting dressed up (you could maybe wear a fancy top, but still stay comfortable in your sweatpants!). I do realize that Zoom is not the same as being able to hug your loved ones and laugh with them in person, sharing the same traditional holiday foods. Although, it is our best option right now to keep everyone safe and also spend some time with them. Again, keeping distance from your loved ones right now is actually the best way to show that you care about them.
