Slow Down! It's Christmas!

 ‘Tis the season to be jolly’. A celebratory time when people want to be together with and share precious moments with their loved ones, greet friends with hugs and see smiles on the faces of those we care about (not just online). This year however, many are weary; weary from the dark cloud of the pandemic that’s been hovering over us this year. 

How do we navigate this dilemma? Should we just cast aside all our usual Christmas traditions? Not necessarily. Instead of focussing on what we can’t do, let us think of what we can do to find joy during this special season.  Let’s get a little creative. Fortunately, thanks to technology and a little ingenuity, the festivity, though it may be simple, can still be memorable. Think of dinners and festivities over ZOOM. Have different members cook part of the meal and drop them at each other’s doorstep. Let’s not forget the home decorations and even dressing up (bling and all!) for the online dates. Why not take a drive to see the fairy lights in town. 

Before Covid-19 hit us, most of us were probably doing too much during the holidays. We attended Christmas pageants, concerts and party after party. We shopped, we cooked, we decorated. We tried to do everything, and by the time Christmas arrived, we were exhausted. Perhaps the pandemic is a reminder for us to slow down, scale down and truly savour the spirit of Christmas with a heart of gratitude for what we do have.