Thanksgiving, 2016. Everyone huddled around our dining room table--laughing, enjoying dad’s stuffing and grandma’s mashed potatoes, expressing what we’re thankful for. 

 

Thanksgiving, 2017. Everyone huddled around my grandmother’s dining room table--laughing, enjoying dad’s stuffing and grandma’s mashed potatoes, expressing what we’re thankful for. 

 

Christmas, 2018 and 2019. Everyone huddled under my aunt’s Christmas tree--laughing, tearing wrapping paper open, hugging each other as tight as possible. We said our goodbyes and were so excited to see each other again in a new decade.

 

However, that never happened. 

 

Thanksgiving, 2020. My parents, my sister, and I huddled around our small kitchen table. We still enjoyed dad’s famous stuffing and grandma’s legendary mashed potatoes with the rest of my family in spirit. Later that day, we saw them through a tiny box on a laptop screen--with little to laugh about, expressing what we’re thankful for. 

 

Christmas, 2020. My immediate family huddled around the kitchen table and under the lit tree while we wished the rest of our family a ‘Merry Christmas’ through an eleven-inch phone screen. We sang classic Christmas carols and showed the rest of our family what we received for Christmas. Nevertheless, something felt a little off.  

 

​

​

​

​

For many, myself included, this will be the first holiday season spent miles away from our loved ones. The holidays are time to celebrate the joys of life with our families and appreciate everything we have. Nevertheless, that may be difficult this year. The COVID-19 pandemic has halted almost all travel, and many simply aren’t comfortable with family members flying in from miles away. Why were we so eager to keep in touch in March, but now, the thought of another family Zoom call disgusts us? Working from home and online classes has many experiencing ‘Zoom fatigue,’ and even with the semester at a close, it is a never-ending cycle that we seem perpetually stuck in. Now that classes are over, suddenly everyone wants to have a Zoom game night or Secret Santa, and once interest in these activities fade, it will be time to return to the virtual classroom. Humans are meant to be social beings, but consequences of the pandemic make that extremely hard. For some, mandatory attendance in Zoom classes is the only form of connection, making it hard to recognize its benefits for anything else.   

 

"Humans are meant to be social beings, but consequences

of the pandemic make that extremely hard"

​

The holidays are a time to let all of this frustration go, as we are all struggling to accept the pandemic’s halt on in-person activities during the Christmas season. While many are unable to converse or physically be with their families, there is still so much to celebrate and be thankful for. COVID-19 has not interfered with traditional activities like cookie-making, writing to Santa, and watching classic Christmas movies. We can still gush over the Santa tracker and pinpoint when he will plunge down the chimney. We can still kiss our loved ones under the mistletoe, and whether we realize it or not, our families partake in these activities with us, just miles away. The magic of the holiday season is still alive, even if we only see each other through a screen. 

The reality is, we can find ways to be together even if we are physically apart. For many, this new way of connection was a shock in March. However, we have mostly adapted to virtual connection, and there are many easy and fun ways to connect. While it may take some effort and planning, it is possible to still celebrate the holidays with family and cherish all the memories created over the years; separation through a screen will never change that. 

 

While we wave a virtual goodbye on this year’s family call, our wishes to see each other next year will be stronger than ever. Hopefully, next year, they will come true.