Holidays are not just about celebrating something.
They are not just to commemorate an event.
And they are not even about a special date on the calendar.
They are about something so important to us.
Something that is at the core of every gathering.
And it goes to the very root and heart of all celebrations.
They are about connection and community.
Why would we travel get distances when everyone else is doing the same?
Why are holidays so centered on family and friends?
Regardless of the type of holiday or the time of the year, holidays bring us together.
Which is why during this pandemic the holiday season is much harder for us.
We have already been apart from others for quite a long time.
We are already desiring to done with keeping our distance and throw caution to the wind.
That is why in spite of all the warnings, people are still traveling.
That thirst for human connection is so strong.
It grows even stronger during a holiday.
Holidays are a time for us to take a break and connect with each other.
They give us joy even if we spend in the service of helping others.
Just to be with another human being is so essential to our very nature.
We need each other at a very fundamental level.
Humans are social creatures, and being apart from our tribe and our communities is the hardest thing for us to bear.
Yet it is for that very community that we need to find other ways to fulfill the need for connection.
If it is not safe for us to travel or come together, then for the sake of the community we have to stay apart.
At least for now, not forever.
And keeping that perspective can help us to get through this.
It is not for the rest of our lives.
This is for an emergency of global proportions.
To keep our loved ones safe, we have to be cautious and careful.
Not out of fear, but out of love.
Love for each other, and ourselves.
For if we bring with us a disease that infects our family or our community, we would be devastated.
So let us find another way to celebrate.
Let’s find a better way, just for now, to connect without taking risks.
Yes, it may be hard.
Yes, it may be unpleasant.
And the alternatives are much worse.
So let’s find a way to be grateful for what we do have.
To be strong for those who rely on us.
And remind ourselves that we can always connect to others inside our heart.
Surely that is the most important connection of all.
~ Sam Liebowitz, The Conscious Consultant