Thursday, November 26, 2020

Have a Zooming Thanksgiving

 

Today is Thanksgiving. A very unusual Thanksgiving if you, like so many others, opted not to spend it with family. In fact, this entire year has been a very different year.

Here in our sunny state, no more than two additional households may gather with a Thanksgiving host—and they'd better get back home before 10:00 p.m. Oh, and be sure to leave the windows open while you feast. After all, it should make it up to the sixties by the time dinner is served.

Perhaps that is why some folks will just decide to remain home this Thanksgiving—a lonely-sounding thought which reminds me of the perennial Thanksgiving angst from my childhood which I blame as instigator of my lifelong obsession with learning more about family. There is something deep inside which impels us to want to connect. More. 

No matter the situation, there are still ways to find moments of gratitude on this day set aside for giving thanks. As ironic as it seems, now that we are all separated from each other, the gulf has prompted some to reach out and connect in other ways—not only that, but to connect more often than ever before. Why is it that, despite having online conveniences like FaceTime or Facebook Messenger or a kazillion other options, the world never woke up to video calls like it did when COVID-19 stuck us all in quarantine? Suddenly...Zoom!

Whether you are planning to make a Zooming Thanksgiving your family's newest tradition, or whether you are throwing all caution to the winds of change and opting for a clandestine gathering, I wish you a safe, pleasant and meaningful celebration. We all need something to brighten this waning year.


Above: "Still Life with Cheeses, Almonds, and Pretzels," oil on wood by Flemish still-life artist Clara Peeters, circa 1615; courtesy Wikipedia; in the public domain.


4 comments:

  1. Talk about throwing caution to the wind - my daughter and her family chose NOW to buy a new house and move, so like the stellar parents we are, Barry and I are here in Savannah helping to unpack boxes. For the first time ever we have ordered Thanksgiving dinner in. Wishing you and your family a blessed Thanksgiving in whatever form it takes.

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    1. Oh, Wendy, I've had a couple of those Thanksgiving Day moves, myself. One for each generation...it must be a family thing. When I was a kid, my parents thought, "We'll just go to McDonalds." Surprise: even they were closed! For my own move, as an adult, I think we opted for Chinese take-out. It was nothing to write home about. Hope your Thanksgiving Dinner to-go fared much better! And hopefully, you'll have some time to enjoy Savannah before returning home, yourself.

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  2. In Ohio they are asking that you share your meal with members of your immediate household. Our numbers have skyrocketed - from a few a day in our community to 40-50-60. And the state itself is worse. A high average was 1,000 - last week we had days of 11,000. We zoomed with our oldest daughter and her family, her inlaws, her husband's brother and his family, our youngest daughter, middle and youngest sons and their families and invited our single son (who lost his job due to covid and is solitary soul) to our house. It's a new normal, I am afraid.

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    1. Oh, Miss Merry, those numbers are astounding. So difficult for this holiday season. Glad to have Zoom to reach out, but it isn't the same. Hope you and your family stay safe, despite the surge.

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