December 2020 Back Page – May the Blessings of the Season Keep You Warm and Safe

Posted: April 15, 2021

For most of us, this will be the strangest Christmas celebration of our lifetimes. Just before I sat down to write this message, I sent one to my closest friends, my children and my grandchildren. For the first time in decades, I told them, we will not be gathering at my home for the holidays. I love them all too much to put them at risk from the virus.

We have a very small bubble that we live in. But my husband and I are both seniors; my husband, my best friend, my daughter-in-law, and my granddaughter all suffer from impaired respiratory systems, and another daughter-in-law has a significant genetic condition. One is also a nurse and two of us are essential workers.

So the bottom line is that we must all look out for each other and have virtual celebrations until a vaccine becomes available for us. The big question in my house now is – do we put up a Christmas tree and deck the halls? I say yay – my husband says nay. We shall see who prevails.

I know only too well how precious these celebrations are to all of you. When I lived in small towns (for eighteen years) the whole community was our bubble! Now that cannot be. We all must continue making sacrifices so that the most vulnerable of us is protected by our cocoon of love.

It has been a long and difficult year for most of us. I am a hugger. Holding friends and family in a close hug makes me happier than almost anything. But for now I will save those hugs for another time. I know many of you in our communities. We have exchanged hundreds, if not thousands, of hugs over the years. And I am absolutely certain that we will be able to do that again in the not-too-distant future.

We all send you our collective virtual hug and good wishes and hope to see you in a bright and virus-free new year.