Finally, it’s time to start celebrating Christmas again. It’s something most people look forward to every year. I am especially excited for the festivities and celebrations this year, after what last year was like.
Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t bad last year, but it looked a little different than normal for a lot of people. This year it seems things will be at least a little better for most, but let’s not forget what living through the COVID-19 pandemic during Christmastime taught us. Thankfully we won’t have to live in pandemic circumstances forever, but the things we were taught, the lessons we learned and the memories we have from last year can stay with us forever.
Christmas is a time to travel to see people you might not see very often. It’s a time to gather with loved ones. Last year with the pandemic, we saw a lot of restrictions on gathering as well as several travel restrictions going on, making it difficult for some.
Christmas looked different last year because of the pandemic, but this year I’m encouraging you to make it different because of the pandemic.
Something we learned through the pandemic is that oftentimes we take important things for granted. Spending time with loved ones, being able to travel near and far — those are things a lot of people took for granted, until they couldn’t be with loved ones last year. It reminds me of the famous saying “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone.”
So this Christmas season, think about last year. Think about how Christmas looked different for you. What did you learn from it and what are you going to do differently because of it?
Don’t wait until you don’t have something anymore; cherish the things you do have. This Christmas, let people know you love them, thank God for modern advances that allow us to travel to be with those loved ones and most importantly, in 10 or 20 years when the pandemic is over and done, don’t forget the lessons you learned. Make this Christmas different and make every Christmas different.
— Kenzie Holbrook
Newsletter Editor
