There is a lot going on right now and little of it good. It is hard to imagine a holiday season as usual when all we hear from the experts are dire warnings. From the CDC on down, we were told to stay home during the Thanksgiving season. We are also told that despite rising infection numbers, we haven’t seen the worst of it.
That frustration is spilling out in other ways. There is more depression and substance use disorder. There is also a link between the pandemic and rising domestic violence. There is no way to remain unaffected by what is going on.
But the world has seen pandemics before. We have seen worse times than these. The inconvenience of wearing a mask and social distancing don’t even rate on the tragedy scale compared to other things humans have had to deal with. There is no good reason to let the pandemic take over our lives and blot out all things good and beautiful. Holiday parties might have to be put on hold. But holiday cheer can still thrive. Don’t let the pandemic, or any of the following ruin your holiday season:
Having Your Wallet Stolen
During the holiday season, people will be buying lots of things and whipping those wallets in and out of their pockets and purses. It makes a tempting target for thieves. It is not always a matter of theft. It just might be that something works its way out from all the times you reach for the credit card. The best practice is to leave the social security card at home.
If you need to replace it, do a search for the social security office locations nearest you. Don’t delay. Get it taken care of right away. Credit cards can be canceled via smartphone apps. You should also contact the credit bureaus. Finally, get down to the DMV and get a new driver’s license. The loss of a wallet feels like the end of the world but it doesn’t have to be the end of anything, especially your holiday season.
Stay at Home Orders
It can be devastating to hear that your area has been placed into lockdown. Stay at home orders mean you can only leave the house for essential duties. But being home for the holidays does not mean that the holidays have to be less than great. You will have even more stress-free time to be with your immediate family and work on strengthening the bonds you have with the most important people in your life.
There are other benefits to staying home. First, you don’t have to leave the house to do your holiday shopping. Many companies like Apple and Amazon have mastered the art of logistics so that you get your packages on time even when that time is short notice. You can eliminate COVID-19 stress by only being around the people in your life you know are free from the disease. You can decorate your home and add a festive flair to your community. And there will never be a better time to catch up on all those movies and holiday specials you normally miss every year from all that running around.
Civil Unrest
There is always civil unrest in this, and every country. It is not always this bad. But it is always there. U.S. politics is a mess right now with brother against brother and everyone regarding everyone else as the enemy.
But that is actually the perfect opportunity to show what the holiday spirit is all about. You don’t have to agree with your neighbor to show love for your neighbor. When you do a good deed, you don’t first ask them what political party they belong to. This is the season to remember that we have more in common than not, and that there is more that binds us than separates us. If that’s not the reason for the season, I don’t know what is.
It is sometimes hard to find reasons to be happy during this global pandemic. But we should not let stolen wallets, lockdowns, and civil unrest make this a blue Christmas instead of one with a lot more good will and peace on earth.
Stolen wallet stock photo by DDekk/Shutterstock
