A Return of Sorts

Took some time off. I had little in the way of work the entire week leading up to the holiday, so I spent most of the time reading slightly different things on a smaller screen than usual. Progress!

A day of feasting and spending time with family most years, Thanksgiving 2020 of course proved to be difficult and anxiety-provoking. We had plans to spend the first part of the week driving to and hanging out in the Carolinas, but COVID cast its shadow over the whole escape plan. Friends we had planned to see (rightly) began locking themselves down even further and the prospect of travel began to feel more and more irresponsible, even if we moved through the arteries of the interstate highway system and eschewed airports for rest stops and gas stations.

Instead we stayed put, which was the smarter play and the more adult move to make. We still hosted my parents on Thanksgiving, but kept distancing and spent time outdoors instead of in. A non-zero risk, but one that felt reasonable even if I found myself doubting the wisdom of it. Time with family was nice, but the circumstances just wouldn't let us feel normal. Maybe that's not really a thing anymore.

Still, Thanksgiving remains my favorite holiday. I love shifting into reflective mode; thinking back over the previous year and looking for things that inspire gratitude. And as weird and trying as this year has been for all of us, there's so much to be thankful for if we just slow down and focus.