Thanksgiving Traditions
As I reflect on this year and prepare for Thanksgiving, I am so excited to take part in my favorite holiday traditions! My family always enjoys pizza the night before Thanksgiving. We wake up the next morning at 5am to put the turkey in the oven, and juggle to get all of the food cooked and ready to come out of the oven right at noon. There’s nothing like watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with my 5th cup of coffee for the day, all the delicious smells of the food filling the air, and most of all, being surrounded by the love and laughter of my family.
When I reflect back on last year’s holiday season and think about all of the families that couldn’t be together, or who were separated and alone for the holidays, it makes me feel so grateful that we are moving through this pandemic and people are able to enjoy time together again. Before last year, I think a lot of people took the ability to spend time with their families and loved ones for granted. We now know, even though it can be chaotic and stressful, how much we truly cherish these times and memories together.
This year’s holiday season is going to be special. With less worry about protecting our loved ones, we will be able to fully appreciate our time together. We can go back to “OMG! Mom is driving me crazy!”.
Creativity can Bring Everyone Together
As we have persevered through the highs and lows of this year, it seems especially important to share the things that we are grateful for.
One of the activities that I am thankful for this year is the ability to be around my colleagues again, networking and meeting face-to-face. This past week I had the opportunity to attend two business conventions, and it was so wonderful to see all of my friends in person again – it truly felt like it had been forever! Both conventions were very diligent in their efforts to keep everyone safe. With COVID vaccine checks, testing, and hand sanitizer readily available, it made me feel very safe and aware during my time at the convention.
A creative way they addressed COVID safety concerns was by indicating comfort levels on the attendees’ name tags. This allowed attendees to network while being able to easily see and respect each other’s boundaries. I, of course, had the green sticker on my name tag, indicating that I am open for hugs and handshaking again! My choice to get the vaccine has really allowed me to feel safe attending large events like this again.
There are so many things this year to be thankful for, but most importantly, it seems the world is starting to come back to normal and we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. As terrible and difficult as this pandemic has been, we will come out better, faster, and stronger. I encourage you to take a minute and reflect on this past year. Give yourself some credit for pushing through and adapting to the challenges, and really enjoy this season with your families.
Take care and be safe my friends. Sending you a big, big hug with my big green sticker!