Happy Thanksgiving weekend. The calendar says mid-October, but really, who knows what day it is? Kids are back in school (or in our case, attending virtually online). The weather is changing, the leaves are falling and we are already missing the long leisurely days of summer.
As we celebrate Thanksgiving this year, I'm especially grateful. My family has recently celebrated the fall Jewish holidays, all at home, alone, and wihout our extended family. It was strange and different but we tried to make the best of it. We FaceTimed, GoogleMet and virtually connected with loved ones in different ways.
As we prepare for the weekend, I'm once again reminded of how lucky we are. My immediate family of four is together. The grandparents are all relatively healthy. No one is in a long-term care facility. While not our first choice, the kids are doing well with virtual school. We have flexibility to work at home. These are all things we appreciate and are grateful for.
As I watch the COVID cases rise, I'm anxious about what's to come. While our family will once again celebrate another holiday without our loved ones, I hope others will reconsider large holiday plans and make the necessary sacrifices to keep people safe and business open.
One other thing I'm grateful for is the creativity and imagination of local Ottawa businesses and institutions. You will notice that our event calendar has a pretty good number of events listed. This is because of the re-thinking of events with an eye towards COVID safety. We applaud the many local businesses and kid-friendly places that have struggled and continue to pivot. We must do what we can to support them. We are (say it with me) all in this together.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Sara-Lynne
