By G. E.
Shuman
All of us are keenly and sadly aware
of the horrific impact of the COVID-19 virus on our own state, our nation, and the
world. At times it seems as if this old planet will not be able to take much
more illness and death. For many of us, imposed rules have caused something
akin to cabin fever, bringing out the worst in some people, as that always
does. All of us are tired of it all.
Very recently, members of my own
extended family have actually felt the terrible sting of the death of a family
member due to that dreaded plague. The whole thing is just awful.
I sat here earlier this evening,
knowing I was up against a publication deadline and wondering what, with the
recent news of the death in our family, I would be able to write about.
Truthfully, I wasn’t in the mood to compose a monologue for you or anyone else.
I had no idea what to do. To paraphrase Dr. Suess, I puzzled, and puzzed, ‘til
my puzzler was sore.
This year has been long and strange,
to say the least. The COVID-19 problem has been terrible; the racial strife and
a much-contested national election have been the icing on the very awful cake
that is the year 2020. By mid-November I was in great need of a positive break
from it all.
I decided tonight that the best thing
I could do would be to share the fact that I got to take that positive break. It
was an experience that began Thanksgiving week and won’t end for several more
days. Wow!
I will not say if it has been by car
or computer, by airplane or by phone, but I have had the wonderful privilege of
spending some much needed time with many of my dear family members and a few
friends.
I had many quality conversations with
family members that I hadn’t been with very much this year; some of whom I hadn’t
seen since last winter. I WILL say that Facetime is wonderful and real time
together is even better.
Christmas is right around the corner.
For most of us that coming holiday, and then New Year’s Day a week later, will
be different this year. Here’s the bright side. We may not have the crowds at
our homes that are usually there, but we should be consoled, at least a bit, by
the fact that putting off those big gatherings for a few more months will be
worth it.
I encourage you to celebrate Christmas
carefully this year, perhaps in masks and all, but also in cautious optimism
that by summertime you’ll be able to host a huge family barbeque, and that
there will be people in attendance who might not even be with us then if we are
careless now. Rest a bit in the fact that we live in the most wonderful,
powerful nation on earth and that this virus will soon be conquered because of
that very fact. Santa will soon be here; so will the vaccines.
