You are tired. I am tired. This is not how we want our holidays to be. Can we just be done with this whole COVID thing already?!

I get it. I really and truly do. But the answer is no, we are not done with it. No, we cannot pretend this is not happening. And, no, we cannot celebrate the way that we traditionally do. This is a hard statement. One that we do not want to hear. I have a very large family. Our holidays are a household over-flowing with people, lots of noise, lots and lots of food! This year, we are meeting on Zoom. We will lift a glass to celebrate that we are all healthy and hope that next year we get to meet in person.

No, it is not the same. No, I am not excited about this. But, and this is a big but, I want to be able to see my family again, year after year. Several people are in the highest risk categories. I am willing to give up one year to be able to have many more years together.

That is the bottom-line. We are all being asked to give up one year of holiday celebration. One year of traditions. One year! In exchange, we help to guarantee the health of those that we love the most, including ourselves. One year.

This is the time for giving, no matter your belief system. The most precious gifts are love, family and friends, and health. If we all get together by not getting together, we get to embrace these gifts, now and in the future.

Please, please, create new traditions this year that do not include people who are not in your immediate bubble. Just for this year. Please!