12/17/2020 - Coronavirus and Our Holidays

 

Not our tree, just a nice Christmas tree.

 

Later on this morning I'll be pulling our Christmas tree and all of our decorations from storage. There's some in a little storage locker in the basement, and the rest is in the guest room closet. And while we'll do our best to make the most of Christmas, 2020, I have to say I've noticed I don't have nearly the same excitement as in years past. Surely we'll see our son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter. And we may see, within the stinking stupid CCP Virus rules, a couple of dear friends. But it won't be a whirlwind of socializing and activity like other Christmas seasons. I'm tempted to say, "It sucks," but Christmas is supposed to be about the birth of a child, Jesus, Son of God and our Savior. Coronavirus doesn't change that at all. But what all is different this year?

Masks. Social distancing. Closures and restrictions. Can't visit sick friends in hospitals. People sick with the virus. This Christmas will be challenging. Whatever. We're all challenged now and again, right? It's just not usually all of us at once like this year.

Shopping at the malls, and target, and this place and that. Nope. Not this year. Groceries and necessities only

OK, no malls and stuff. Shopping online. With the malls closed, online shopping is a bad idea, if you ask me. The time would have been a week, maybe two weeks or more ago. I'm not feeling good about my chances of getting stuff out and getting it, or having someone else get it on time. Nope.

Restaurants! Nah. Restrictions. Masks. Cold weather means inside dining. Not so much. Sadder for restaurant employees and owners than me, but that's the truth. Take out? Probably so, but not for large gatherings. Not this year.

Christmas parties! I'm retired, so the office party is a thing of the past. People aren't doing house parties. There ain't shit for Christmas parties this year, probably not much of any anywhere you might be.

Church? I'm not good at getting to church like I should anymore. That's a whole separate topic. But at Christmas we've been known to attend worship with our friends. Watching it live streamed or delivered as a giant Zoom conference? Not as much. So I don't see church in our plans.

So here's what we are going to do: we're going to put up the tree and put out our nativity set. We're going to start to listen to holiday music. Christmas carols, Santa songs, Winter Wonderland, all that stuff. Caroline's going to make some cookies. Maybe a drive or two to look at some awesome Christmas decorations. They're out there. Some people went bonkers with it I bet, with the pandemic going on. Christmas Eve and Christmas dinners with the kids and exchanging gifts with them... and especially with my little Cutie-Pie! And on Christmas morning, we'll take a ride out to the Veteran's Cemetery in Radcliffe, and salute my father in law and all the other veterans spending an eternity of Christmas's there. And though they lay many miles away, I'll think of all my other family, now gone from this world. What better day than Christmas to think of them? The Redeemer's birthday.

Nope. It won't be a normal Christmas in many ways. But it is still Christmas. Make the best of it you can, and we will, too.

Have a great day, friends! God bless. And please, have a safe and lovely holiday. Merry Christmas!