Holidays with COVID
Written by: Ellen Begley, LCMHCS and Director of BMCC
This year is different in so many ways and those differences are most notable during times when we lean on traditions to make our lives have “order”. Normally, when we think of stressors over the holiday season we think of over-scheduling, going in all different directions to meet multiple, often conflicting, obligations with school activities, extended family, office parties, and added holiday events. But this year, there is an interruption to all of that normal “holiday busyness.” What does this holiday season look like for you?
Does this unexpected, unwelcome change that COVID is bringing actually give us a time of re-evaluating our holidays?
This year is a great, and necessary, time to start thinking about new holiday traditions. Participating in holiday traditions, “because we have always done it that way,” could be both a blessing and a curse. In some ways, there is freedom in not having to think about the way we do things. The familiarity of traditions can be one of the things that make anticipation of the holidays so exciting and joyful. This year, however, we might also benefit from evaluating some of the things we have “always done,” and consider whether those things still add to the quality of the holiday experience. If you find that some traditions don’t fit with this year’s holiday plan, you should not feel guilty for omitting and adjusting some holiday “traditions.” The new celebrations don’t have to stay every year, but maybe you will find a new tradition or way to celebrate with family and friends that you all enjoy and can stay in your holiday schedule for years to come.
As we prepare for this holiday season, it is important to remember the reason for the various celebrations during this special time. As an adult, it is special for me to think back to holidays past and focus on what made those times memorable. Often, it was not the gift that was given, but the relationship building and simple family time together, that made those times meaningful and memorable. So, this year we might not have the big extended family dinner around the table, but we might gather around our computers virtually and visit without the stress of traveling and cooking. We might have to slow down and develop new traditions around the kitchen (yum) and order out our dinner to support a local restaurant.
This year, as we head into these special days, let’s take a deep breath and allow the holidays to be like all of 2020, different. Those of us at Black Mountain Counseling Center are wishing you times of peace, joy, and gratitude.
We are always available on our phone number 828.669.9798 or by visiting our website www.blackmountaincounseling.org.
