title taken from "Counting My Blessings" by Nadia Batson and Don Iko
Holidays Hit Different in 2020
By now, we would all be amped for holiday sales and spending time with family, but 2020 changed all of that. The United States is now in the second wave of the Coronavirus pandemic and there are new travel and socializing restrictions. Right now, many are struggling to get into the holiday spirit. Although this has been a craptastic storm of WTF, it hasn’t been all bad. Instead of complaining, I’m counting my blessings.
Blessing 1. - Life
I’m alive! I know that seems clichè, but I’m pretty sure my friends and family would be upset if that changed. There are currently over 12 million cases and 250k+ deaths related to Coronavirus in the United States. The numbers continue to grow, despite social distancing and masking mandates in many states.
“As a whole, the U.S. last week broke record after record of new coronavirus cases faster than the number of new tests taken, according to The COVID Tracking Project. That is suggestive of an ‘uncontrolled spread of COVID-19,’ the group said.” ~ WTPS.com
The United States is currently leading the world in the most COVID deaths to date. Many associate this with guidelines varying by state, people associating life-saving policies with the loss of freedom, and good old American don’t wanna-ness. Meanwhile, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been widely praised for steering one of the world’s most successful responses to COVID-19. The government issued a strict lockdown and extensive contact tracing resulting in only 1,569 reported cases and 22 deaths as of August 2020. US President Trump has stated many times that he is against lockdowns that would have devastating effects on the economy. Glean from that what you will.
Blessing 2. - Love
SocaSaySo & DysChick
My family and friends are safe and, although we have severely limited in-person contact, we are able to talk to each other daily. Believe me, that’s amazing.
New York City has strict guidelines for social gatherings and Governor Cuomo issued yet another mandate where gatherings of over 10 people could result in a $15,000 fine. If you have a West Indian family, you know that makes it difficult to have a typical Thanksgiving meal. In my family, we would eat in waves. The first wave was immediate family, then the aunts and uncles, then the cousins, and then the friends who had to work. A meal in our home could last anywhere from 2 to 7 hours (literally). This year, most of us are quarantining or staying in our individual homes to avoid contracting or spreading the virus. I know. This is a hard thing to do, but I’d rather sacrifice gorging myself on cookup rice and chow mien this year if it means I’ll have many more years to taste my aunt’s cooking.
Blessing 3. - Home
The pandemic has not only cost people their health and happiness, it’s also cost many their homes. The unemployment rate in New York has jumped almost 10% since last year. Many industries have furloughed employees, issues layoffs, or shut down due to the pandemic. The hardest hit by these cuts were people of color, immigrants, and hospitality employees. With so many people out of work, homelessness rates also increased.
“[Homelessness researchers] concluded that $11.5 billion is necessary for 400,000 new shelter beds needed to accommodate everyone who is unsheltered and to ensure appropriate social distancing, andthe creation of quarantine locations for the sick and exposed.”
at home with DysChick
No matter how bad I feel or how long I have to wait in line to vote or get tested, it is reassuring to know that I will return to a safe and warm home.
Blessing 4. - Sanity
Regardless of what my name implies (dysfunctional chick), I’m actually quite sane - at least in clinical terms. This is very important to me and I am so blessed to have kept my sanity this year.
If you spend your day watching the news or reading Twitter posts, you can find yourself feeling hopeless about healthcare, social justice, politics, etc. However, pull yourself out of that by finding ways to reduce your stress and anxiety during all of this madness.
On March 22nd, the Rant and Rave podcast featured Dr. Cressada Brillant who shared her 5 tips for a Stress-Free Quarantine. One of the tips that I found the most helpful was journaling. It’s important to record what you’re feeling during these unprecedented times so that you can stay on top of how current events are affecting you. The CDC issued a guide for managing stress and taking care of your mental health during the pandemic. It’s okay to not be okay. It’s also okay to get help. Click here to find resources in your area.
Blessing 5. - Technology
I’m pretty sure you would not put this in your list of blessings, but technology has been great for me and for so many others. We were able to continue doing business via interactive apps, we could FaceTime our friends while taking a walk in the park, and we could do virtual happy hours! I mean… come on.
DysChick & Glitterate - #ENDSARS Rant
A survey by consulting firm McKinsey found that the pandemic actually caused companies to adopt new technologies in order to implement a work-from-home construct. Although remote work was a hastened response to lockdowns and social distancing guidelines, it has also allowed coworkers to get familiar with each other. Stories of children running into the room during a virtual meeting or guitars leaning against a wall in the background changed people’s perceptions of their colleagues as just fellow cogs in the wheel. Now they are fathers, doggie moms, and musicians. Imagine. Not being in the same office allows people to actually see each other. Yep. That’s a blessing.
Also, let’s not forget the virtual parties that allowed folks like DJ Private Ryan and DJ Kevin Crown to continue to provide musical stress relief! Socaholics were able to have one more reason to wine when Carnival associations attempted to take the road experience online. I was among the many who donned old Toronto Carnival costumes to jump and wave in our living rooms.
COVID 19 is a novel virus, which means we have never seen it before and we have no idea when it will end. Medical professionals and pharmaceutical companies around the world are trying to stem the spread with testing and vaccines. Whether or not you believe in its existence, COVID 19 has had an effect on the way we travel and live our lives. Let’s err on the side of caution and try to avoid contracting the virus - especially those of you who say you don’t want to get the vaccine.
What’s that West Indian mantra? Prevention is better than cure.
Stay home. Wear your mask. Avoid exposure as much as you can so that at Thanksgiving 2021, we can gather in person to give thanks.
Check out the holiday Rant and Rave podcast!
PIVOTING IN THE NEW NORMAL: Holidays Hit Different in 2020
DysChick and SocaSaySo fill you in on new restrictions and why many are struggling to get into the holiday spirit this year. Then we RAVE to “Counting My Blessings” by Nadia Batson and Don Iko.
