Updated: Dec 14, 2020
"No Act of Kindness, No Matter How Small, is EVER Wasted." -AESOP
18 Days until Kwanzaa. 2 Days Until Hanukkah. 17 Days Until Christmas. 24 Days Until New Year.
If you are reading this, you got through Thanksgiving. Hopefully you were able to plan and execute your holiday plan perfectly to sail through the days like a professional figure skater across an Olympic ice arena.
If on the other hand, you didn't sail through the holiday quite as smoothly as you had hoped, you can take what happened and learn from it. You can always improve your next holiday with what you experienced at the most recent one. Were you able to notice your triggers and cues? Did they catch you off-guard? Course-correct and continue to plan for the next big day.
Today I want to talk about the potential impact of Covid on the holidays this year. I expect things will be similar to Thanksgiving in some regards, but very different in others. In your home, what is the plan for the holidays? You may be wondering things like:
*How is the holiday even going to work this year?
*Can we still safely get together? If not, what do we do?
*If we do get together, will we wear masks? Will we not? Will people disagree about wearing masks?
*How can we make things enjoyable even if it's different than what I want?
*How do I get my groceries safely?
*What about the gifts?
It is safe to say, there is no "right" way to observe or celebrate the holidays. Everyone needs to do what is right for them without endangering the safety or rights of others. Please continue to be courteous to each other and kind. Practice loving kindness. If you are unsure what this is, please do a search on YouTube and watch some videos. Here is just one of thousands of examples: https://youtu.be/sz7cpV7ERsM
At the risk of sounding like what I've heard called "a bleeding heart," please be good to each other. We are all in this pandemic together. There is no normal this year. Everyone is floundering a little. Practice compassion for yourself and others even though it is hard sometimes. Take lots of deep breaths and remember everything is temporary and this season in time will pass. Practice gratitude anytime you can to help remember what is good about life. Try to offer forgiveness if someone offends you, not for them, but for your own serenity and sanity.
If you have any questions about my writing or if you would like to talk with me about scheduling an appointment to help manage feelings of anger or depression, please feel free to call me at 330-451-6306 for your free 15 minute phone consultation. You may also send me a confidential email by going to the following webpage: https://sendsafe.to/recoveryworkscounseling@gmail.com and entering in your message. You can also visit my website (if that's not where you are reading this) at http://recoveryworksllc.net for more information about me and the services I offer. If you are in crisis, please contact the Coleman Crisis Center in Canton, Ohio at 330-452-6000 for immediate help or the national crisis line at 1-800-275-TALK (8255). You can also text the Ohio Crisis Line by sending "4 hope" to 741-741 or go to the nearest emergency department for immediate assistance.
Until next time, stay well!
~Trisha