This feels a bit like déjà vu.
Last time I wrote a column about the holidays, I noted we had “cancelled” Christmas. We decided to not travel to be with family or buy gifts. We essentially took a pass on Christmas in 2018.
Honestly, it’s something I had wanted to do for years. Didn’t want to have to worry about driving hours south and then hours east the next day and hours back home the next.
Seemed like no big deal to me, but I was not expecting the reactions from my family.
“What? You can’t cancel Christmas.”
“We have to be together at Christmas.”
“Is everything OK?”
“Cool.” (My sister was super chill about our decision.)
I don’t regret it. I remember thinking we should do the same every couple of years.
Well, it’s been a couple of years. We didn’t get around to discussing the idea of hunkering down at home for Christmas 2020. A global pandemic made the decision for us.
I know this Christmas, for many, won’t be as easy and stress-free as it is for me.
There are people who have ill loved ones they won’t be able to see.
Friends have lost family members just before the holidays, and this one’s going to sting a lot more for them.
Some people can’t afford to celebrate the way others often do.
Also, Christmas simply means more to some. It can be the one time a year they get to be with family.
I try to keep all of this in mind as I nonchalantly sail through the season without a care in the world (other than, you know, this virus thing).
I’m not devoid of Christmas spirit. That would be impossible in a place like Orillia. Even the grouchiest of Grinches would be heartened by the way this community comes together to support those in need. It’s something I immediately noticed and was impressed by when I moved here in 2007.
Those were the Before Times. Look at us now. The Orillia spirit has shone more brightly than ever during 2020. All of that generosity and goodwill and philanthropy, pre-pandemic, have been magnified this year. From a social perspective, we were ready for this. This is what we prepared for.
We’ll need to keep it up as we stumble into 2021, weary and worn but hopeful.
To those who are sad or suffering right now: I wish you peace.
To my family: I promise I won’t cancel Christmas in 2021. See you then, science willing.