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The True Citizen, Wednesday, December 30, 2020 — Page 5A
Michael N. Searles
At Christmas, we celebrate
the birth of the baby Jesus and
the love, light, hope and peace
that he symbolizes. The ques
tion for many is how can we
sing songs and celebrate the
Lord in the time of COVID.
We are challenged each year
to separate the fleeting from
the essential; festivities from
the true meaning of Christmas.
There also is an expression that
Christmas is more than the
time of year but a condition of
the heart. We express the true
joy of Christmas when we give
to those in need, appreciate the
things we have, and provide
service to others.
While many of us can
This is the final newspaper of
2020, and I’d be lying if I said I
weren’t somewhat happy about
that. As mythical as the magic
of a new year might be, I am
still holding on to the hope of
good and joyous things in the
365-day year before us.
Though this past year has
been challenging, to say the
least, we certainly cannot start
a clean slate without paying
homage the old one. And I
don’t want to “say the least”;
2020 deserves a proper send
off.
The first thing that probably
comes to many minds is “good
more easily enter into this
spirit, there are others who
find the Christmas season one
of sorrow. The season evokes
memories of those who died
in years past and those who
recently have departed due to
COVID. We also are reminded
of those who had funerals with
out a gathering of friends and
family to mourn their death. It
probably will take some time
for us to realize that persons
we knew well have died.
Time Magazine expressed
the feelings of many with
its cover: 2020 —The Worst
Year Ever. The Worst Year
Ever by Stephanie Zacharek
referenced an essay entitled
“Our Awful Year: 2020 Tested
Us Beyond Measure. Where
Do We Go From Here?” MS
Zacharek emphasized the dire
circumstances of this year
with the following statement:
“There have been worse years
riddance” and for seemingly
good reason. For starters, what
a potent year we have had, not
just with mudslinging on a
political level but with pure,
unadulterated hatred, bigotry,
jealousy, ruthlessness and care
lessness dripping from folks as
if the entire earth were dipped
into a giant cup of poison and
then set out on the back porch
to see how quickly it could
destroy itself.
On top of that, this has been
the longest year ever recorded;
even though we only gained
an extra day, Feb. 29 was at
least a decade ago. Right? A
decade on a roller coaster with
no brakes, wearing a blindfold
and instead of hoping “it”
wasn’t gonna hurt, praying the
punches wouldn’t be TKOs.
Somehow, this is still the
in U.S. history, and certainly
worse years in world history,
but most of us alive today have
seen nothing like this one.”
However, while the arrival of
COVID vaccines has lifted
somewhat the shroud of ill
ness and death, we must keep
up our guard. The wearing of
masks, maintaining social dis
tance, and washing our hands
represent the prudent approach
to fighting the Virus. It seems
that the elderly have embraced
these measures while many
younger members of our com
munity have not. This may be
why we do not attach words
like wise to the young. The
acceptance of stark realities
constantly confronts those who
have entered later adulthood.
Days become more precious
and memories more often flood
our minds. We also are faced
with the realization that the
largest number of casualties
THE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS
year that my daughter gradu
ated from high school, though
that whirlwind of disappoint
ment after disappointment also
now seems a lifetime ago.
Why?
Because the world kept spin
ning.
Day after tedious day, when
we sat at home watching every
thing around us get “canceled,”
the earth rotated on its axis, and
the sun and moon took turns
in the sky. We ate too many
of our snacks and worried if
we would run out of toilet pa
per. During all the panicking
and arguing, we also did two
remarkable things we don’t
as easily realize or acknowl
edge — we persevered and we
adapted. The end result might
not look how we envisioned
while proclaiming, “2020 is
IN THE SPIRIT OF YULETIDE
is older Americans. As the
number of infections, hospi
talizations, and deaths rise,
we have decisions to make.
As Thanksgiving approached,
the desire to be with family
rose precipitously. Because of
family gatherings and other in
teractions, COVID infections,
hospitalizations, and deaths
dramatically increased.
Hospitals across the country
are at full capacity while some
are at over capacity. This
means people with non-CO-
VID diseases and conditions
in some communities cannot
receive the life-preserving
treatment they need. Experts
are now looking at Christmas
and what may occur as folks
travel back home.
The desire of families to
come together seems to over
ride the concerns of medical
experts who warn of the Third
Wave. Andrew Hayward, a
going to be my year,” but here
we are, in motion.
No, I really don’t want to
say good riddance to 2020,
but instead offer a genuine
thank you.
Thank you for revealing true
character. Thank you for fill
ing missed trips and concerts
with family movie nights and
friends around a fire. Thank
you for the unexpected and
absurd that made me appreciate
the planned and practical.
Thank you for everything
you took that made us appreci
ate what we have. Thank you
for letting me say goodbye
to my granny and hello to so
many things I had been scared
to do.
Thank you.
professor of infectious disease
epidemiology at University
College Fondon, said mixing
at Christmas poses "substantial
risks" particularly where gen
erations "with high incidence
of infection" socialize with
older people "who currently
have much lower levels of
infection and are at most risk
of dying" if they catch Co-
vid-19. Our approach to this
new world viral experience
reflects our belief in science
and our faith in God. The Rev.
Donna Frischknecht Jackson
editor of Presbyterians Today
relays this message: “God is
always trying to get our atten-
the very spot where Fewis
and Clark began their explora
tion of the mostly unknown
territories that would become
America. I pondered on the
Christmas that those men spent
in an uncharted wilderness.
Recent Christmases were
spent in the Fow Country of
South Carolina. Christmas din
ner comes with a spectacular
view of the Yorktown at Pa
triots Point and later a walk
along the pristine sandy shore
tion, always willing to show us
a New Jerusalem. This Advent
especially, God is showing us
a new vision of “doing the
holidays” that has been forced
upon us by COVID-19.
It’s a vision we might not
welcome as it means letting
go of beloved traditions and
not holding large family gath
erings. But God is always
recreating our lives and always
presenting us with a vision of
what can be. And that vision,
if we see with eyes of faith, is
indeed beautiful.” May you
have a safe and spirit-filled
Christmas and Holiday Season.
watching the surf churn in the
winter winds. A drive over the
Ravenel Bridge and the views
of the numerous Charleston
church spires is a must.
One Holiday, Christmas.
Six states.
Two commonalities.
Family togetherness.
Jesus, the real reason for this,
and every season.
I hope yours was as happy
as mine.
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Continued from 4A
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