As Dumbledore said (yes, we’re leading with a Harry Potter reference),“Happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” In the midst of a very untraditional holiday season, we want to acknowledge ways that we’ve been keeping our lights on, literally and metaphorically.
Whatever you celebrate—Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Solstice, or just the fact that 2020 will be over soon—every human is exulting in the distribution of a vaccine. Finally, we see the light at the end of a scary and confusing tunnel.
The first in our holiday hit parade, Hanukkah, is all about miracles. You certainly don’t have to believe in a higher power to feel a sense of wonder at how hard-working scientists have done the seemingly impossible—and how health-care, first-responder, and other essential workers have stretched themselves past the breaking point to keep us going.
But just making it through this dark time—with all its pain and loss and fear—is a kind of miracle too. Think about it: Would you ever have believed how life changed in the face of this pandemic? Would you ever have believed how you have changed?
What helped you get here? Perhaps you’ve leaned on family and friends more than ever, strengthening those bonds. Or maybe you’ve discovered new interests, connections, or coping mechanisms. Maybe you’ve found quiet inspiration in decorating your Christmas tree or lighting holiday candles.
This cursed year is not over, and we might have to work a little harder to see the miraculous in the darkness that remains. So before we close out 2020, we encourage you to remember how you’ve kept the lights on so far—and resolve to carry their warmth over into whatever 2021 holds.