Were any of us dreaming of a COVID Christmas?
When I first heard the words coronavirus and COVID-19 last winter, I couldnāt have imagined what was coming. Even when it hit closer to home, and we were personally affected by shut-downs and social distancing, I never dreamed weād still be deep in the middle of a pandemic during the holidays.
Iāve spent some time mourning what I can’t do this Christmas.
I canāt make cookies with my grandchildren.
I can’t go to the Christmas play at Desert Star Theater.
I can’t go out to breakfast with my work team or out to dinner with the executive committee.
I canāt carry on my mother’s tradition of a large, chaotic Christmas Eve party with my extended family.
I canāt host our traditional Christmas day open house.
Boo to all of that!
Now itās time to celebrate what I can do this Christmas.
I can listen to Christmas music.
I can enjoy the Christmas tree (thank you Larry).
I can watch Itās a Wonderful Life.
I can savor peppermint treats of all kinds.
I can get my holiday nails doneāfingers and toes.
I can shop for Christmas gifts online.
I can make my traditional charitable donations.
I can make cookies by myself and safely share them with my family.
I can have socially responsible visits with my children and grandchildren on Christmas day.
I can spread goodwill.
Your turn
- How are you celebrating COVID Christmas?
- Do you have a favorite Christmas song?
- Do you have a favorite Christmas movie?
- What else is on your mind? Anything at all; I just love hearing from you.
It is indeed easy to mourn what we are missing this Christmas season… but like you, I am choosing to count my blessings. I am content to spend these Advent evenings sitting in front of the fireplace, practicing my newfound crochet hobby, and watching any number of favorite Christmas movies (It’s a Wonderful Life … Preacher’s Wife … Miracle on 34th Street …) Tonight I plan to make some white chocolate covered pretzels with peppermint sprinkles and enjoy with a cup of White Christmas tea š
That all sounds lovely Molly…well, I can’t crochet…but the fireplace, the movies, the chocolate-covered pretzels, and the Christmas tea. Delightful. Enjoy. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Yes! It’s shocking to think about how different things are from last year to now.
I am going to miss many things in your list as well. Boo indeed!
We have been very isolated, but we’re expanding a bit to see all my immediate family for Christmas, with masks.
My favorite song this year has been “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, because the lyrics seem to be extra appropriate for 2020.
I really love Christmas movies, but I think my favorites are the Muppet Christmas Carol, Love Actually, and Elf. My mom’s favorite is It’s a Wonderful Life. ā¤ļø
I love you, and I’m sure going to miss celebrating in person with you this year.
I’m happy to hear that you will be seeing your family for Christmas. That is what we are doing as well. I am sad that Panos won’t get to experience our usual Christmas rituals his first year with us…but there’s always next year. I do love that song as well, and as you said it is fitting for this year. I might have to watch the Muppet Christmas Carol. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it. I love you too Liz, and I hope you and your sweet family have a very merry Christmas.
Yes, you should! I love it! It’s on disney+ if you have that.
That is such a bummer that Panos doesn’t get the whole Christmas experience this year. I am holding for a normal 2021 Christmas, and in the meantime I hope we’re able to enjoy and appreciate the intimate Christmas celebrations we get to have this year.
So much love to you and yours!! Merry Christmas!!
Merry Christmas! Hug the family for me!
A good list of can-do things to keep up our spirits this Christmas. I’ve been listening to Christmas music & watching Christmas movies almost every day. A couple of my favorite movies are The Holiday & The Christmas Card.
Christmas music and Christmas movies always do it for me Karen! I’ll add those two to my list.
I love your list of ‘CANS’.
There is so much good that we can do this Christmas — and so much joy that we CAN spread! š
Thank you Donna. It really is all about perspective. When spreading joy to others, you almost can’t help but get a little on yourself as well! I hope you and yours are well and happy. Enjoy your holidays whatever they look like!
I do miss the things I can’t do, but I am also realizing that what I can do is pretty awesome too!
Isn’t that the truth, Suzanne! Even my daughter whose whole family got COVID used the quarantine time to watch Christmas movies together, build a gingerbread house, and find other pretty awesome things they could do. One night they even acted out The Christmas Carol under the instruction of her 14-year-old daughter! I’m told you haven’t lived until you hear a Greek man impersonate Tiny Tim. ? Luckily while they did have uncomfortable symptoms, they didn’t have serious side effects and were able to make the most of their time together. I know many others have not been as lucky.
We are restricted to three households mixing so I can’t see all my children and we can’t have our traditional family meal in a local restaurant as they have had to close. We have bought a real tree and decorated it and we will open a couple of bottles of wine.
Thank you for the reminder, Anne–I better add drink sparkling wine to my list of things I can do on Christmas! I hope that you will enjoy your smaller, more quiet Christmas this year. As a child, we always had a real tree, and I have very fond memories of picking it out, bringing it home, decorating it as a family, and enjoying that smell!
Yes! Rather than dwell on what we can’t do, embrace what we can. It is still possible to have a merry Christmas… it will certainly be one to remember!
I couldn’t agree more, Janis. I am happy to report that I am feeling the Christmas spirit more and more. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
We are celebrating Christmas with my 3 kids and their kids on the 19, so that everyone can come. However Christmas Eve and Christmas will be very different as we wonāt have momās big extended family party or your open house Christmas Day. Iām sure Iāll miss both. Mark and I will just spend it together and be grateful for that.
My favorite Christmas show is probably Christmas vacation, and I love all Christmas music. And I love YOU!
I love you too Cindy…and your lovely family. Enjoy your early Christmas celebration and your quiet Christmas Day. I intend to make up for the missed parties with twice as much fun next year! Well, I don’t know if that’s really possible, but we will appreciate it 100 times more for having been through a COVID Christmas. The ladies in our neighborhood (from the LDS Church) brought by a 12 days of Christmas bag with 12 scrolls containing Christmas-themed stories. We’ve been reading one each night, and it reminds me of Mom and her Christmas Eve stories so much! Yesterday’s was kind of long, and Larry and I both got a little fidgety, but I powered through. You know Mom would. ?
I love that idea, a Christmas story for the 12 days of Christmas! And yes, that SO reminds me of mom. ā¤ļø?
It has been fun, Cindy. Enjoy your early Christmas and those adorable grandchildren!
Hi Christie – I feel so sorry for those who are impacted so much by covid after so many months. My Canadian blogging friends are mourning the fact that they can’t get together with their families for Christmas at all. Here in Australia we are in a kind of bubble with our borders pretty much closed and community spread zero where I am, it feels a little surreal. We’ll be having our family for Christmas and doing all the normal stuff – I keep reminding myself how blessed we are here. I really liked how you acknowledged what is lost, but also you’re being so positive about what remains – that’s so important. I hope your Christmas is still a joyful one despite the restrictions xxx
It has been a long time, Leanne. Sometimes I grow weary of it, but then I remind myself that we have actually been pretty lucky so far–without serious illness or direct financial consequences. I hope you and your family have a very merry Christmas!
That’s a lot of things to miss out on, so commiserations for that, but I’m glad you’re looking on the positive side. It’s all feeling decidedly normal here which I’m very grateful for (although Sydney has a bit of a situation just emerging) and we have our whole (immediate) family here so that’s lovely. and we’re all enjoying the time, though it’s a bit hectic in the house with little people and big people and dogs staying. I haven’t see It’s a Wonderful Life so I’ll put it on my list.
That sounds lovely, Christine, having your whole family with you–all the little, big, and furry! You should definitely watch It’s a Wonderful Life. I’m wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas.
Every once in a while it hits me what I can’t do… the latest was realizing no Christmas Eve mass. While I have not been a regular church-goer for a few years, I still was putting “attend Christmas Eve Midnight Mass” on my Holiday List. But in person, now – nope. So, I’m looking for an on-line church celebration…. that I can do! And yes, we will watch Love Actually, as well as have already seen a bunch of the holiday specials. Christmas day will be quiet…just the two of us, like at Thanksgiving. I also bought myself a jug of egg-nog at the grocery and plan on baking a small batch of cookies for Christmas eve. Little joys of the season.
That sounds lovely, Pat. I hope the online church celebration will be nice. It’s been hard for me to let go of my expectations for Christmas, but I’m feeling more at peace with the way things are and have found my way to the “little joys of Christmas” as you say. Merry Christmas to you.