Greetings CMGMH Friends & Colleagues,
The holiday season is now in full swing and many across the country look to what is often termed the "season of joy" for a respite from the barrage of stressful events that will forever be linked to the year 2020. Now, perhaps more than ever, we long for the closeness with friends and family that comes with the season and yet the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to keep us apart. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) has reported that the average number of new cases of Coronavirus is upwards of 487,000 per day (100 times the daily rate when the nation shut down for the first time in March). The CDC has urged all of us to refrain from traveling for large family gatherings in order to maintain our safety and the health and well-being of our friends, families, and communities.
The holidays will, as with all other aspects of our daily life, look different this December and January: Families may connect via video chat; handmade gifts may grow in popularity as many wish to demonstrate the new skill they learned during their time in quarantine; friends will resort to mail-in Secret Santa exchanges; and I have a personal hunch that there will be a plethora of freshly baked sourdough recipes. If the COVID-19 pandemic has proven anything, however, it's that humans are creative problem solvers. We have adapted to this "new normal" through imaginative solutions such as drive-by birthday parties, virtual graduations, and reinstating the nearly lost habit of writing snail-mail letters to loved ones.
The year 2020 is nearly over and the promise of next year runs thick through the air. And yet, though it is tempting to sweep this past year under the proverbial rug to be forgotten, I believe that this year has taught and revealed much that must carry forward into the future. The question that comes to my mind as I reflect on the turn of the year is this: "How can we learn from the mistakes and struggles of the past year in order to create a better future?"
No matter what this season will look like for you and your household, we at CMGMH wish each of you a safe, happy holiday. Congratulations, we have just about made it through this year despite all odds!
All the Best,
Rebekah Drew
CMGMH Program Coordinator
AmeriCorps VISTA Member
