Christmas in 2020

Written December 22, 2020

Christmas is weird this year.  Huge understatement, I know. I truly believed coronavirus would be either gone or not a big deal by now.  The cases slowed down in the fall and I thought I might be right. But things have gotten worse and it has definitely put a damper on most people’s Christmas spirit.   So I’ll give you a little background on my grinchy feelings and how I am trying to counter them, in hopes that maybe it will help someone reading this.

If you have read my previous blogs, you know we moved a couple months.   It was an exhausting and tiring move, especially after we lost our dog unexpectedly during it.   I was feeling some better, but then, as beautiful as Christmas is, it also reminds us of loss.  My little Nova loved laying under the tree and stepping on the wrapping paper as we tried to wrap gifts.  Also, we are in a temporary apartment until we buy a house next year.   I know this is a prime example of #firstworldproblems, but it doesn’t quite have the warmth of a house at Christmas.

In the last couple of weeks, I have heard more and more people get the coronavirus and some people have had family in the hospital with it.   It has me worried a little for some of our family members. I also learned someone I used to work with passed away unexpectedly at a young age.    Losses like that cause me to struggle with why things happen and make it a little hard to focus on the Christmas season. We all tend to struggle with feeling happy and sad at the same time.  We tend to feel like we have to pick one. But since none of us know which Christmas will be anyone’s last, it would be better to try and make the best of what we can this Christmas than to feel like the Grinch every moment of this season.

Here are a few things we are trying to keep our spirits up.  Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t, but in the moments they work, it is a beautiful relief.

1. Celebrating advent: I purchased an advent book from SheReadsTruth and it has helped me read the bible and remember Jesus during this season.  This is my first year looking at advent as anything other than a countdown calendar with chocolate.   I want to make celebrating it a tradition going forward, which brings me to…
2. Making new traditions: We purchased new Christmas jammies to wear on Christmas Eve and Christmas.  We also purchased a cookie decorating kit so I can decorate cookies with Hannah because I think she will love it.
3. Go through the motions: I don’t love saying this one because there is a fine line between trying to continue traditions to get in the Christmas spirit and ignoring how you are feeling.   So try putting on some Christmas music, looking at Christmas lights and any other traditions you can continue this year and if it doesn’t work after a while, don’t feel bad. 
4. Take a minute to accept that it may not be the same this year – Give yourself and others some grace and manage your expectations.  Some of my hardest moments have been when I had unrealistic expectations and was disappointed.   It is best to find a balance between being positive and being realistic. 
5. Prioritize people: Even if you are unable to be with loved ones, make it a priority to spend time with family over video chat or call them.  It isn’t the same, but it helps.
6. Look for the good: I am always in awe of the good people who step up in hard times.  And when I look for the good, I find it much more often.   Some examples I have witnessed lately are: people are dressing like Santa for free and allowing kids to visit in a covid-safe way; people are reading books for kids to watch on video (thank you on this one people, Hannah loves watching these); people are offering to help anyone financially who needs it this season; people are checking in on others to see how they are doing; and our first responders/healthcare workers/teachers, etc. keep showing up to do jobs that are often thankless and are even harder this year.
7. Having a two-year-old: Ok guys, this one you probably can’t pull off by Christmas if you don’t already have one, but having a kid or kids around can definitely help.  Especially those who are too young to understand the pandemic.  But if you are lucky enough to have any kids in your life, spend some time with them, even if it has to be on video chat.  They can really brighten your mood.

 I hope you all have a very safe, healthy and happy Christmas!