…for a Covid-19 Christmas?!

Well, this has been different, that’s for sure.  The season that usually sees us hustling and bustling to shops and malls, enjoying house parties and office parties galore, and getting together with neighbours and friends and family has been turned on it’s head. 

It seems to me, in our lives, Christmas memories whether happy or sad, are among the most powerful.  Some would call them warm, comforting, and endearing.  Others may not have such feelings attached to their memories of Christmas.  Theirs may be feelings of quite the opposite – more sadness, stress, fear and loneliness.  Regardless, it is certainly a powerful time.  It is very interesting and intriguing to me why the imagery of Christmas touches our hearts in such a profound way.

I’m a winter-lover myself.  I love bundling up outside and snuggling up inside.  I love the cold when I’m dressed for it and the snow when it’s crisp and dry.  I even love the shorter days when I can close out the world earlier and enjoy the peace and quiet of my own home.  The fact that Christmas falls during this time that I enjoy so much is definitely a bonus for me.   I bring in the Christmas tree, hang the wreaths in the windows, bake goodies, and hang the stockings.  And despite the anniversaries of some extremely devastating events close to Christmas, the warmth and joy of the season manages to break through.

Over the years I’ve come to note that, despite the urban and suburban sprawl in North America, the commercialization of Christmas falls within my mental picture and my experience.  We see advertisements with scenes of snow-covered streets and starry, night skies.  Hallmark has established itself through movies of Christmas trees, brightly coloured lights, church carol sings and pot-luck dinners, candles in windows and wreaths in every window and doorway.  And somehow, the hustle and bustle of daily living is perceived as a grind yet it somehow takes on a whole new feeling when it is on the screen.  The movies depict crowded sidewalks and streets, with people overloaded with bags and boxes, yet all still glowing and cheerful.

I have to wonder if we work hard to create a short season that is reminiscent of our fortunate pasts or one that, if we work hard enough and take enough pictures of, we can use to replace the unfortunate and unpleasant ones.  Regardless, the interesting dichotomy is we do seem to harken back to simpler eras, even while exploiting the extravagances of our current times. 

This year has been different though.  Like many people, I have been working from home since March.  I get out daily to walk the dogs and I join colleagues and stakeholders via video conference.  I do my shopping online and get groceries delivered via a shopping service.  Now, my two daughters and I live together, so I’m not alone.  My son and grandchildren live around the corner from me and that has been my ‘bubble’.  So in fact, for someone like myself who is a bit of a nester and kind of likes a higher level of seclusion than the average person perhaps, this has been quite fine for me.  But I know that is not the case for many people.

Covid-19 has changed that landscape for many people and I have to wonder how the 2020 Covid Christmas will be remembered.  Will we reminisce in years to come about the year we all stayed home?  Will we tell stories of our Zoom and Teams parties that we attended in our pajamas or at least in ‘party on top, jammies on the bottom’ attire? 

For another week, until the January 6^th the feast of the Epiphany as a nod to my French Canadian family, the lights will glow in my windows and from my tree, the garlands will drape over window ledges, shelves and banisters and we’ll indulge in foods that we somehow ‘only have at Christmas’ because we thrive on tradition.

I cannot sign off this post without a note, a plea really, to remember that loneliness and despair is accentuated at Christmas time and when the world around us gets busy, those who are suffering get lost.  For some it is only the exchange of cards and gifts and a shared meal with family and friends that alleviates the aloneness.  Covid-19 has forced isolation on some who are at most risk in that state.  While some of us will see this Covid Christmas as an opportunity to keep things simple, others will definitely suffer from the new restrictions from going for coffee and, at least once a day, sharing stories and a few laughs over coffee with friends.

As we enjoy the continued glow of Christmas week and head toward New Year with all the promise it holds, please check-in on neighbours and friends, especially the elderly neighbours and friends.  For many, church, school, community centre events and even just the corner coffee shop, provide relief from situations that are far less than the Christmas pictures described above.

This is a time we can take a moment to reflect, appreciate our general abundance and give thanks for our blessings…even in Covid-19.

Enjoy…m