Will Christmas ever be the same???

Whatever memories that l have had of Christmas past cannot compare to what Christmas will be in a pandemic year. This year has been a total write off for many and Christmas will be no different than what we have gone through this past year. 

When l reflect on this festive season, it usually brings back special memories and good times from my past, but this year… a dark scene keeps creping into my mind and the question that keeps coming up in my psyche is…Will we ever see a normal Christmas again?

Depending on who you listen to or where you get your news and information from, it truly is a confusing state that we are living in. Most of the networks and news outlets are only talking about doom and gloom and there seems to be no end in sight. The vaccine may be the one and only hopeful glimmer of light, but this vaccine has many conspiracy theories all over it. Regardless of these rumors associated with the vaccine, l truly hope that it works for all of mankind.

In the meantime, we all need to keep moving forward in a safe and positive lifestyle that continues to give us some sort of quality of life. Our daily routines have been compromised, but we need to continue to find creative ways to keep us sane and in control of our emotions and mental state. Using our thoughts and memories will give you some moments of a true holiday season that we once knew and loved.

Christmas, more than any other season, is an equal mix of memory and of hope. Memory of Christmases past and of the people who filled them. Hope for the renewal, once again, in our hearts of the spirit of peace on Earth, goodwill toward men. And certainly, with the shadow of COVID-19 hanging over us all this Christmas morning, our minds seek out comforting memories from years past and ache with hope that future Christmases will be brighter.

Sit back and reflect on some of your memorable and vivid moments of Christmas past and try losing yourself in these thoughts and memories as it can bring you a few moments of joy.

My initial and vivid memory of a Christmas past is when l was about eight years old and my father brought home one of those first RCA black and white television sets and we all sat around it and stared a this black tube until my mother turned it on and we watched one of the five channels that were available. It didn’t matter what we were watching, it was just one of those picture moments…and yes, we all stood in front of this television very proudly and had our pictures taken. 

Another fond memory of Christmas past is when my family and l would attend midnight mass services. The words echoed by the priest have long since faded but not the feeling of that small, warm church on a cold, late December night. At the end of the service, the lights are put out, and only candles shimmered as we sang silent night. Whatever your Christmas memories, l pray this Christmas of 2020 finds you warm and cared for, loved and at peace.

At this time of the year, we should all take time to reflect on our special Christmas people of the past – people we wish were here to celebrate Christmas with again. We all have people we miss during the holidays, buried deep inside parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, friends, teachers, church members, colleagues and other acquaintances. 

Sometimes, we get too caught up in the hectic rush of the season’s here-and-now to reflect on the there-and-then of past Christmases, how precious they were to us. How did these special people make Christmas so great for us? What did they do that made them so indelibly part of our holiday souls? Was it their generosity? Their unique cheer? Their own special mischievous twist to the holiday? In the end, the message of Christmases past is clear. It is the people we celebrate the holidays with that matter most – who they were, what they did to make the holidays so joyful and meaningful for us.

Regardless of where you are in your life, under these trying COVID times of this pandemic, take a few moments to reflect on your fond memories of Christmases past and dive back into your memory banks to get a few minutes of what Christmas truly was which may never be the same way again. I hope that l am wrong, and l have been wrong in the past, but being wrong this time may be a blessing to us all. 

Enjoy the memories…

I hope that you have time to reflect upon your blessings and to enjoy some peace and quietness before another new year, a better and brighter new year, begins.

Finally, l hope this coming year will see the shadow of COVID lifted from our land and that Christmas 2021 will see all our beloved holiday traditions restored.

And from my family to your, a very merry Christmas.

Vince Nigro/MS