Gratitude in the Time of Covid

As we move into the holiday season, a favorite time of year for many, the nature of our
celebrations will inevitably be affected by COVID-19 which not only continues to be a serious
global health risk but is currently spreading at alarming rates as temperatures cool down and
people are indoors more than out.

Consequently, many traditional gatherings like large family Thanksgiving dinners, office holiday parties, Christmas or Hanukkah gatherings or New Year’s Eve celebrations have to be scaled back or even cancelled altogether. As for this month’s beloved holiday, Thanksgiving, the CDC has advised that people avoid traveling and that families forgo large family celebrations, and rather consider options such as a Zoom Thanksgiving dinner or very small gatherings with outdoor dining if possible or ample ventilation and space if indoors, with guests wearing masks at all times other than while eating. Norman Rockwell’s depiction of a 2020 Thanksgiving would
be very unique indeed!

This stark reminder of the continued threat of COVID-19 will be more magnified than ever as we navigate through the 2020 holiday season. As the quarantine extends indefinitely and people get more and more frustrated, depressed, or just weary of this new reality, it’s important to continue to count our blessings and stay optimistic about better days ahead. All in all, we still have plenty to be grateful for!

• • It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver. (Mahatma Gandhi)
    We hope that our Synergy families have managed to stay healthy during this pandemic or, if you have been infected with the virus or with any other illness or health issue, that you’ve had a complete and quick recovery. If you ask a hundred people what they are most grateful for, a large majority would undoubtedly say without hesitation that it’s their good health. For those dealing with COVID-19 or other medical issues, we are grateful for access to top notch medical care with doctors and therapeutics that minimize symptoms and help us get better. Additionally, we give a shout out to the researchers and scientists who dedicate their lives to finding new treatments, vaccines and medications to eradicate everything from respiratory viruses like COVID-19 to a wide array of chronic and life threatening diseases and conditions. With recent news of promising vaccines to combat COVID-19, there is much hope that our lives will return to normal, more or less, in 2021.

 

• • Family is not an important thing. It’s everything. (Michael J. Fox)
    It’s true that the long quarantine necessitated by COVID-19 has led to more family time than many of us ever dreamed of. And while there perhaps have been moments where we would prefer a bit less togetherness, the truth is that our families are everything to us, helping define who we are in the world and how we see ourselves. The pandemic has resulted in far more time at home than ever: Zoom school, working at home, dining in rather than at restaurants and seeking our entertainment from Netflix and Hulu rather than movie theaters and concert venues. Many families have used this time to engage in activities together such as jigsaw puzzles, board games, bread baking and home improvement projects. At the end of the day, our families are the people who love us unconditionally and always have our backs, something everyone can be grateful for.

 

• • Home is where you feel loved, appreciated, and safe. (Tracey Taylor)
    Dorothy said it best: “There’s no place like home.” Whether you live in an apartment, a modest home or a large estate, there is a certain comfort in being in a space that you have created to appeal to your sense of style and design. Since March, many of us have been spending most of the hours of each day within our home’s four walls. While this can be isolating for some, there is a certain sense of security we all harbor by having a place to call home. Similarly, our children — whether they are still living at home, away at college, or adults living on their own — appreciate being able to come “home” to a place in which they are always welcomed and loved. Knowing the high number of people facing homelessness within our Southern California community, we are especially appreciative of having a roof over our heads.

 

• Technology is best when it brings people together. (Matt Mullenweg)
  Imagine you were living through the 1918 Spanish Flu, the last major global pandemic that forced social distancing and hunkering down for an extended period of time. There was no TV in 1918. No internet. Even the telephone, which had been around for about 40 years at that point, was challenging since it required operators to make the connections between callers — operators who were as susceptible to the Spanish Flu as anyone else. Technologically speaking, we have much to be grateful for in 2020. Before February of this year, there’s a good chance that most of us never used the word “zoom” to refer to anything other than moving quickly. But now Zoom, the popular video conferencing service, has become a vital part of many people’s lives. Children go to “Zoom school.” Businesses conduct Zoom meetings and Zoom interviews. Families gather for Zoom birthdays and holiday celebrations. We at Synergy Academics use Zoom to provide remote one-on-one tutoring and college counseling services to our students. But Zoom isn’t the only technology that’s keeping us going through this pandemic. Streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime provide endless options of television series and movies to watch. “Binging“ popular new series is the new “rushing-out-to-see-a-new-movie!” Smartphones and social media keep us connected to our friends and the world in general. And while some might bemoan the increasing influence of technology on our lives, the truth is that during a period that might otherwise be terribly isolating, technology goes a long way toward keeping us all connected.

2020 will be remembered as one of the most challenging years of our lives for many reasons. It’s safe to say that most of us are ready to turn the page on this year and to finally be able to come out of hiding, so to speak, to resume a life where we no longer have to fear being in large crowds, dining in a restaurant or celebrating holidays and special occasions with our loved ones. But even in the midst of this difficult time, we realize that we have much to be grateful for. On behalf of the Synergy Academics family, we wish all of you a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving!