POMEROY–Covid-19 has weighed in on all of us tremendously and it’s not getting any better, or at least that is what news outlets are saying. But for now, our Christmas traditions are being canceled and are definitely going to be different.

For me, it was last Christmas that our tradition of expressing our feelings toward friends with a hug, traveling to share the holiday season with our family and far away friends were allowed. Now we visit by technological means or through windows or drive-byes, or by phone. Normalcy has ceased and everything has gone downhill. But this pandemic has taught us a lot, like how to socially distance ourselves from each other, how to stop visiting in person to be safe, isolate ourselves from one another so slow the spread of COVID. I really is a burden on someone my age to be told how I can enjoy being with my friends and family and just life in general. I miss those things and wonder if we will ever be able to return to our traditions.

I remember, around the holidays, my friends and I would go to Locomotive Park, watch movies, decorate gingerbread houses, and spend practically every waking moment doing the holiday things we enjoy. I know some people are trying different ways to keeps parts of our local traditions. But I really wonder if that will be enough to satisfy our desire for tradition. Is this pandemic really a pandemic anymore? What about after people get vaccinated? What then? I hear it is more of the same—socially distance, wear masks, do not gather in groups. What good is the vaccine if it doesn’t get us back to normal.

I have no idea what this Christmas season holds. I don’t have control over that, the government does. I just hope whatever it ends up to be we find hope and happiness.

Enjoy the lights around town, stay warm and be joyful.