How is it already October? I have this weird feeling that this year has flown by, yet at the same time, has dragged on. It’s definitely been an unusual year, to say the least. As we start to head into the holiday months, I’ve started to wonder what the holidays will look like this year, and how people will be celebrating the "pandemic holidays". So, in this week’s blog post, I wanted to share a few of my thoughts as to where we’re at, and why it's important to give everyone a little grace.
By now, I think we’ve all grown pretty accustomed to wearing masks. Maybe we even have cute decorated ones (I know I do!) People are starting to realize that we can do many of the things we did pre-pandemic, just by wearing a mask. And, to be able to live a semi-normal life, the masks are totally worth it, in my opinion. Now, that’s not to say there aren’t still frustrating elements. Mask-ne, anyone? My face definitely breaks out more often than not, due to having hot air pressed up against my face for hours on end. And, in Arizona, it’s still over one hundred degrees outside. Some schools are starting in-person learning across the country, while others are choosing to learn from home. And, if the start of the school year wasn’t crazy enough, we now get to tackle the holiday season, pandemic style.
We all know that the holidays can be either a happy time for someone, or a lonely one. However, with all of the uncertainty this year has brought, people may also feel anxious about going into the holiday season with a paycut, less family around, or completely isolated in fear of passing germs along to loved ones who may be more at risk. If there’s anything I think we need to remember going into this holiday season; it’s that we need to give everyone a little grace.
This hasn’t been an easy year for anyone. We’ve all had to give things up in response to the pandemic. For some people, it was simply giving up eating out with friends and family. For others, it meant giving up their jobs, or their time and sanity to be an essential worker. The bottom line is, you never know what someone’s pandemic situation has been over the last seven months.
With the amount of uncertainty we’re all facing for the rest of the year, I don’t think it’s an unreasonable request to ask everyone to give others a little grace, even when we don’t think they deserve it. Some people are better at handling stress and hardships better than others. Hurt people, hurt people. Read that again. It’s so important to keep that in mind for the next few months. So, be the reason someone smiles today, or believes in the good in the world. With all of the negativity, we could all use a little more of that.
Comments