I have a friend who had a small gathering of family to celebrate a milestone birthday, just 9 people representing 5 households. Four days later one of them tested positive for COVID-19. The rest need to get tested now and are in quarantine.
I have a family member whose neighbor had a small gathering to celebrate something, 12 people, I’m not sure how many households were represented. Ten of them tested positive for COVID-19, a few ended up in the hospital, one sadly passed away due to complications from COVID.
This Christmas I’d really like to see my family, but I think I can handle a different Christmas this year if it will help, not just my family, but many families to not have a missing family member at the next birthday or holiday gathering.
Thinking about how different Christmas will be this year, and how different this whole year has been, I wrote this poem:
Christmas Looks Different This Year by Mishell Wolff 2020
January, whispers began in the news eclipsed by death of a basketball icon.
February into March, murmurs rippled as a cruise ship stays at sea, later docked in the bay, passengers in quarantine.
Mid-March became a full-fevered, all-out effort to stop the spread of Coronavirus, “Fifteen days to slow the spread.”
April and May, stay home, wash your hands, social distance, distance learning
Restaurants, take-out only, salons stay closed, hospitals fill, nurses stretched, protests.
End of May 100,000 U.S. COVID deaths, George Floyd, “I can’t breathe!” protests.
June, July, August, protests fill the streets, open business, save the economy, defund police, Black Lives Matter, defend America, antifa, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, too many to name, protests divide, tear gas, flash bangs, photo op in front of a historic church.
September, open schools, teachers are lazy, kids need socialization, they’ll fall behind.
October, small schools manage in person, others COVID spreads and revert back to distance learning, some stayed online, safety first.
November, please stay home, wear a mask, Zoom Thanksgiving, hospitals have no capacity for gathering-driven surge, staff is exhausted.
December, why didn’t we listen, ICUs expand, not enough, over 300,000 U.S. dead from COVID alone.
Many families, many reasons, no option to choose, an empty place this holiday season.
Christmas looks different this year; stay at home, wash your hands, physical distance, wear your mask.
Christmas looks different this year, help others, household only, so next year won’t have to be different.
Christmas looks different this year, the Spirit of Christmas doesn’t have a look, love others, do justly, love mercy, walk humbly.
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