December

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I don't know how to make this any clearer: there is no magic potion.

We're sitting here on Dec 1 and I can already hear the cries for 2021 to begin.

"THIRTY DAYS TO GO!"

Sure, thirty days until the number changes on the checkbook.

Beyond that, what?

COVID isn't magically disappearing like that.

There's a vaccine that is getting closer to reality but do you really think you can stop wearing your mask at 12:01 on 1/1/21?

Er. No.

Look, I'm not trying to be The Grinch here. Unlike those on the Pandemic Panel, I see things through a realistic prism.

We're going to hit some kind of "normal" and I'm really hopeful that will happen in "Q1" of '21, though Dr. Fauci -- King of All Things COVID -- has said we might not really lose the masks for some time.

I feel for people. It's been so difficult. Friends -- loved ones -- haven't seen their friends and loved ones in a full calendar year. They haven't been back to to their parents' houses in just as long.

And I get there are some who say, "That's your problem. You've stopped living your life."

OK, fair enough, but I respect those dealing with those kinds of decisions. Everyone has their reasons.

Me? I've gone with the common sense and following the rules, but even I pull a rock once in a while. I walked into a local store yesterday with my mask in my hand. I quickly threw it on my face before anyone could say anything but I was still embarrassed.

So we simply have to make the very best of this month. As of now, I see no way that I'm not here -- home -- on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Sean does everything in his power to play things down the middle with his parents, especially now that he's driving. He's completely rotating weeks between us. Week on, week off. 

Traditionally, Christmas Eve has been with me.

This year, if he goes back to his mother, and I assume he will, than I will likely spend Christmas Day with Rascal. I don't see anyone doing anything in my family, just as it happened on Thanksgiving.

And it's OK. Really. Thanksgiving was fine. I appreciate the couple of offers I received but it was for the best to stay home. Sean couldn't travel due to college and we were comfortable.

Thus, I'll probably do the same for Christmas, if that's how it all plays out. I did Christmas alone once before (2014). That time, I was fairly miserable, even if I didn't even know any better. This year, I'm OK with it because it's really the nature of the beast this year.

As I've said, I know my North Carolina family would love to have me there, and might even need me there, if only for emotional support and occasional comic relief. But I can't justify it due to the pandemic.

I can't ignore or disrespect this thing. The virus has been in control for the majority of 2020.

It didn't go away with the announcement of a new resident of The White House.

It's not magically going to stop when we flip the calendar.

So we simply feel grateful for the same things we've felt grateful for.

We're resourceful. We're survivors. We should be bigger than how we've behaved.

So we'll suck it up and get through it.

Like everything else, focus on the small moments.

Bring on December. Let's get through these days. Just don't expect things to change that soon.