Holidays are not just about celebrating something.

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They are not just to commemorate an event.

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And they are not even about a special date on the calendar.

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They are about something so important to us.

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Something that is at the core of every gathering.

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And it goes to the very root and heart of all celebrations.

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They are about connection and community.

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Why would we travel get distances when everyone else is doing the same?

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Why are holidays so centered on family and friends?

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Regardless of the type of holiday or the time of the year, holidays bring us together.

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Which is why during this pandemic the holiday season is much harder for us.

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We have already been apart from others for quite a long time.

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We are already desiring to done with keeping our distance and throw caution to the wind.

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That is why in spite of all the warnings, people are still traveling.

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That thirst for human connection is so strong.

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It grows even stronger during a holiday.

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Holidays are a time for us to take a break and connect with each other.

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They give us joy even if we spend in the service of helping others.

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Just to be with another human being is so essential to our very nature.

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We need each other at a very fundamental level.

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Humans are social creatures, and being apart from our tribe and our communities is the hardest thing for us to bear.

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Yet it is for that very community that we need to find other ways to fulfill the need for connection.

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If it is not safe for us to travel or come together, then for the sake of the community we have to stay apart.

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At least for now, not forever.

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And keeping that perspective can help us to get through this.

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It is not for the rest of our lives.

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This is for an emergency of global proportions.

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To keep our loved ones safe, we have to be cautious and careful.

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Not out of fear, but out of love.

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Love for each other, and ourselves.

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For if we bring with us a disease that infects our family or our community, we would be devastated.

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So let us find another way to celebrate.

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Let's find a better way, just for now, to connect without taking risks.

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Yes, it may be hard.

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Yes, it may be unpleasant.

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And the alternatives are much worse.

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So let's find a way to be grateful for what we do have.

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To be strong for those who rely on us.

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And remind ourselves that we can always connect to others inside our heart.

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Surely that is the most important connection of all.

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~ Sam Liebowitz, The Conscious Consultant