During the pandemic, that is the question…
Unless you were around in 1918 during the Spanish Flu, for the first time, Americans will have to attempt to celebrate a holiday season during a Pandemic. No matter what state you live in, our government has imposed shut-down orders and some have even gone so far as attempting to put restrictions on how Americans celebrate inside of their own homes. These restrictions don’t sit well with many, and others think they are absolutely necessary to keep us safe–no matter what side of the “fence” you may sit on, we all have some serious decisions to make: are we going to participate in holiday festivities with our loved ones, or abstain?
Unfortunately, I am not qualified to tell people what to do in this situation, but is anybody? Health decisions are very personal, and they should be just that! No matter what you decide, just make sure it’s your decision, and just know that taking risks can bring both rewards and consequences.
Three Good Reasons to Go Celebrate With Others!
- You’re Struggling with the Isolation: Stay at Home orders have forced a lot of us into solitude, and not the good kind. A lot of us are working from home, but some of us have very small family or social circles and as a result of not going to work, now have little or no social interaction with anyone. If you fit this description, your mental health could continue to deteriorate without intervention. You might not be in the position to throw away a perfectly good opportunity to socialize, and holiday gatherings can be the motherlode of all get-together’s! If you or your peeps don’t have any underlying health conditions to worry about, you might want to put on your party shoes!
- It’s tradition: With all that is going on, it’s important to maintain some consistency and normalcy in our lives. If celebrating the holidays is a part of your family traditions, you have an expectation to experience those events, and skipping out of them is going be a be a big letdown. You will likely experience feelings of loss, and we all have enough negative feelings to deal with right now. Most of us are feeling a little down, and holiday gatherings could be the pick me up that we all need!
- Family is a Gift: Let’s face it–having a family to celebrate with is a blessing. So many people have no family, and the holidays is a miserable reminder of the fact that they do not have access to an intimate group of people they can count on for support and unconditional love. This is not something to take for granted…Tomorrow is not promised to any of us, and for all you know, either you or one of your family members may not be around to celebrate with you next year. If you and your family members are healthy, perhaps you can find a way to celebrate safely. Maybe everyone could get tested before the festivities begin? It’s a thought…
Three Good Reasons to Stay-at-Home
- Underlying Health Conditions: If you or one of your family members is elderly or has a compromised immune system, then deciding to celebrate could obviously be risky. Personally, I do not think that the authorities really understand this virus. There is spiritual warfare going on and the Coronavirus is one (of many) manifestations of that. There are perfectly healthy people who will contract the virus and lose their life, and there are people with multiple health and immunity issues that will come in contact with the virus and not get sick at all. That being said, its still a big risk for those of us who are elderly or ill. Although isolation really sucks, it might be worth it to air on the side of caution, here. You can still have a fun holiday at home! Click here for my post What to do if You’re Alone for the Holidays.
- Your Family is Raggedy Anyway: Not everyone comes from a functional family. Some people’s holidays are tense at best, and disastrous at worst. But guess what…the Shut-Down gives you a great excuse to pass on the family gatherings! Normally, you would really disappoint Aunt Trudy by not showing up for holiday dinner. But the pandemic gives you a legitimate reason for skipping out and you’re less likely to hurt anyone’s feelings. Say goodbye to the dry turkey and loud politically incorrect uncles this year!
- You Can Holiday Your Way: Are you a grown person who has never made a holiday meal? Is your mom in her eighties still trying to cook a 10-dish dinner for ten people all by herself? The pandemic can give you an opportunity to grow up a little and create your own family traditions. You can do ya own thang! Visualize what you want your special holiday to look like: How do you want to decorate? What music will you play? You don’t have to listen to your father’s “The Temptations Christmas” CD from 1960, you can play what you want. You can see if you can handle cooking a turkey on your own (and there won’t be any elders complaining about the lumps in your gravy). Perhaps you really want to switch things up and make a turkey pot pie instead of a traditional baked Turkey with the usual fixin’s. Maybe you want chocolate cake instead of a pumpkin pie…Maybe you want to make a vegan dinner…Maybe you want to get Chinese takeout! Its all you boo–you decide what to do. Make it yours and have fun at home!
If You’re Feeling Stressed, Check out The Following Resources:
How to Manage Stress and Anxiety
How to Take a Salt Bath