By Shari Adler
As the winter months are approaching, many medical experts are concerned about the rising numbers of those affected by the novel coronavirus. As of November 30, CNN reports the United States statistics of 266,887 deaths, with 13,386,251 total cases of those infected (sourced by Johns Hopkins University).
Dr. Anthony Fauci has warned people to resist the malaise of “COVID fatigue.” People are devastated in so many ways from this virus, yet COVID protocol and restrictions remain politicized and controversial.
On November 24, two days ahead of Thanksgiving, CNN reported the story of a Minneapolis doctor, Shirlee Xie, who wept as she spoke of the lack of hospital beds and the rising cases of COVID-19. She cares for people who are suffering and perishing from the ravages of this illness.
She emoted the gravity of her story to beg people to stay quarantined as much as possible, recognizing that this is particularly difficult during the holiday season. She acknowledged that while a vaccine is coming, her plea is for people to be cautious in the interim.
Now, as we look forward to Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s Eve, the most joyous occasions of the year, we must consider that we have only one more season of sacrifice.
Let’s acknowledge that this is normally a time for families and friends to gather indoors for food, gifts, celebration and laughter. However, this year, our safest course of action is to remain limited to our immediate family unit: our pod.
For millions of people across the country, the mental anguish of loneliness may supersede their will to stay safe. Still, we may regard this period as taking a pause in our lives.
We may consider this pause as a sort of social sabbatical. I liken it to the sabbaticals awarded to professors in colleges. For me, this particular pause on all things social has provided a welcome bit of relief from the formerly frenetic frenzy that had consumed my pre-pandemic existence.
I recall a time in my life when my social circumstance was of utmost importance. I was in my 20s, the ages that my children are now. Sowing my wild oats and rebelling against conservatives mores were among my highest priorities. There were parties, dinners, dates and trips to museums, movies and beaches.
I was never at a standstill. I was never bored. My friends and I were having the time of our lives. You might say we were footloose and fancy free.
However, all the free-wheeling fun came with one caveat. This one caveat prevented me from enjoying this time to its fullest. I was perpetually concerned about my future.
By the end of my 20s, I wanted to be happily married and on the way to having a family. As it happened, I miraculously met my husband at the exact fortunate age of 29.
In contrast, my current state of pandemic-induced inertia could be compared to that of a department store mannequin. The disparity between my two life stages is so grossly incongruent, it seems hyperbolic.
But, there are similarities. The force of the caveat is identical. Today, if it were not for my daily fear that someone I love may become ill, or worse, I might actually relish this recess from life. I truly enjoy seeing fewer more special friends along with my family. I am resigned to feeling fine with Zoom for everyone else.
The social platforms, which we all share via the computer, bring with them a proverbial security blanket. There is less anxiety and less need to primp.
In fact, I have happily placed all social accoutrements on furlough. I am currently on strike from makeup, manicures, coiffed hair, jewelry and perfectly curated outfit ensembles.
There is a press-the-pause-button on life, this sort of social sabbatical that is occurring with quarantining. It is a reprieve from pre-COVID life. It seems like a higher power has flown to us from a spaceship and landed on Earth to remove the electrical connectivity from the whirlwind of a pre-pandemic existence that is currently and completely not only inappropriate but dangerous.
In my unplugged life, I can stop, breathe, reflect, write, and regenerate my spirit. Although I am satisfied with my temporary standstill, like life in my 20s, there remains the enormous caveat of fearful trepidation from the out-of-control virus. Thus, enjoying anything to its fullest potential during this period is challenging.
The virus is predicted to rage full speed ahead during the winter months. As people relent and become unable to tolerate an isolated life during the holiday season, hospital beds will resume their full-capacity state. I only pray there is no return of freezer trucks parked outside hospital facilities, as we had witnessed in March and April.
The heart of the holiday season is upon us now. People of every background and political persuasion will gather, to some degree and in some forum, for the upcoming holiday rituals. Families will rejoice, share holiday meals and exchange thoughtful gifts. Lively dinner conversations will take on new and deeper meaning.
While we try to enjoy our holidays, we remember the one caveat that is our top priority: We wish to keep everyone safe as we await vaccinations. We may opt to celebrate in smaller gatherings, or on a social media platform. We may quarantine in advance of the holiday. In some circumstances, we may choose to postpone celebrating some of the normal festivities, as we anticipate a safer next year. We miss our grandparents, relatives and friends outside our pod.
I pray that all my loved ones, and all of you, remain well until the virus is eradicated. Until then, I will embrace my social sabbatical. My holiday season of 2020 will be pod-confined: a little bit in person, with the rest on Zoom.
Then, by the time the winter snow melts and the spring flowers bloom, we can breathe a sigh of relief to say, “Whew! We just survived our final season of sacrifice.”
Shari Adler is a resident of Manhattan and Southampton.
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