From the Lefthand Corner: A COVID Christmas - it will be different

This year we don’t even know if we’ll have the privilege and joy of a candlelight service of any kind on Christmas Eve.

Our traditions of big family meals on Christmas Day and church services early or late Christmas Eve or Christmas morn all appear to be on hold this year.

We also had the not-so-popular tradition of lutefisk on Christmas Eve, still available for the few of us left who like the stuff.

For most of us, we can be very thankful that so far we’ve been spared from the ravages of COVID-19. We’ve only faced the minor inconvenience of masking and separation and restricted access and activity.

We empathize with those so unfortunate to be afflicted with the dreaded disease. There won’t be much joyful about this COVID Christmas for them.

For those who have lost family or close acquaintances, may we be cognizant of their grief and hope and pray that they be given strength and support to carry them through their deep seated grieving stages.

For most past columns this season of the year, we’ve lamented the commercialization of Christmas, and that seems only to have gotten worse.

Black Friday diluted the true celebration of Thanksgiving, and now Cyber Monday erodes it further.

This year the pre-Christmas huckstering and advertising blitz backed up past Veterans Day to pre-Halloween and seemed headed toward Labor Day.

Somehow I liked Christmas shopping a lot better when we had a lot less. Mom made her careful purchase from the fall sales catalog of Sears Roebuck. Dad began and ended his Christmas shopping at Thurlow Hardware after the Legion Club closed mid-afternoon. Our family learned to expect and enjoy our last-minute gifts wrapped in heavy Our Own Hardware wrapping paper.

This week we look forward to the beginning of vaccinations and hope for immediate aid to those who have lost so much financially due to COVID-19.

As I’m writing this I’m more optimistic, and have more faith, in our state government passing a COVID-19 aid bill on Monday than in Washington doing anything meaningful for our nation all week before taking off on their Christmas break.

For those of us who already have more than we need, it’s a good time to share more, to reach out to those in our midst who have so much less. Food shelves, community meals, maybe some surprise packages on someone’s doorstep come to mind.

For those among you of similar faith, Merry Christmas. For those who celebrate differently, Happy Hanukkah, or Happy Holiday Season, or whatever fits best.