One feels, as they write a December epistle, that they should look back on the year and make deep and profound observations. Hmmm. This year has been like no other, teaching all of us life lessons. There was a Facebook meme that summed it up:
I thought 2020 would be the year I get everything I want.
Now I know that 2020 is the year I appreciate everything I have.
I don’t think I came into the year expecting to get everything I wanted, but it is true that we now appreciate simple things a lot more. We have learned that we don’t need a lot of things that we thought were so important- like clothes. I don’t need a large wardrobe, and with zoom calls I don’t even need to wear pants! 😉 I am reminded of the December ice storm of 2013, when Hydro went down in Toronto. For some people it lasted a couple of days, for some it was longer. Our family was fortunate enough to have a gas fire place that worked without electricity, so we huddled in the one room, playing board games and reading books by candle light. We appreciated time together.
I know that for some of us, this pandemic is keeping us from loved ones. I am grateful that this occurred now instead of 10 years ago, as the technology is in place for us to at least enjoy virtual relationships and gatherings. Our church continues to meet “online”, and we can encourage each other through zoom classes. Our extended family met for “Easter dinner” over skype. Now it looks like we will be enjoying a Christmas Family virtual gathering. This way we will get to see each other’s homes and decorations and still catch up. If I focus on what is lost, then I will not appreciate what is gained. It’s true, it will be hard not to be physically together at Christmas- we normally go to my homestead, the place I grew up and have had Christmas dinners every year since I was born, along with my sisters and their families. This year will be very different. When facing a disappointment like that, it is important to take time to mourn the loss, but then find the good that can come from such a change. We will be more intentional with our online visits. We will finally get to show off our Christmas decorations to my family. We really can stay in our pajamas all day!
As we go into the holidays, maybe we, like the Grinch in the famous Dr. Seuss classic, will realize that Christmas doesn’t come from a store. (Our stores are closed in Toronto!) The Grinch stole all the presents, trimmings and trappings from the residents of Whoville, expecting them to skip Christmas altogether. Instead of crying “Boo Hoo” (a noise he simply must hear!), they came together and still sang and celebrated the season. The story goes that the Grinch puzzled for three hours, til his puzzler was sore, and then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! In learning that Christmas doesn’t come from a store and that the season is about a little bit more, the Grinch changes. As we enter the holiday season, like no other in our lifetime, we may take some time to mourn what is lost, but then we can figure out how to celebrate what is truly important. Maybe it will mean visiting on zoom or delivering homemade gifts and standing on the driveway to catch up, maybe it will mean going back to writing on Christmas cards! Perhaps we will get to know a neighbor that we don’t usually see if we check on them and bring them some Christmas cookies. The Whos in Whoville say that in that particular year, the Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes! In this year of the pandemic, maybe ours can too!