Despite ordinary holiday spirit, we should stay home

Photo courtesy of Marco Verch Professional Photographer, Flickr

 

Thanksgiving is a time for families to gather and share some delicious food and what they are thankful for. But this year is unprecedented, to say the least. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, people should not, under any circumstances, travel to see people outside of their homes. 

The coronavirus has ravaged the world for the past year. The number of people who have not only contracted the virus but have died from it is heartbreaking. For this reason, I believe people should not risk the lives of not only their families but other people in their communities. 

As upsetting as it may be to not get to share a Thanksgiving meal with my family this year, their lives and my life are more important. If people ever want a normal Thanksgiving and Christmas again, they simply need to change their plans this year. If people can do that, I believe that things can go back to normal — or as close to normal — as possible this time next year.

Each day, the statistics related to the effects of the pandemic are worsening. Caution is needed now more than ever. If people stay home this Thanksgiving instead of traveling, countless lives could be spared. 

I have been seeing photos of airports recently and the amount of people flying for the holiday is honestly heart-wrenching. This will undoubtedly cause numbers to go higher and higher, killing and affecting millions of people who may not have ever gotten the virus if people stayed home. 

The situation that our planet is facing right now is life or death. It is scary to think about how many people out there do not realize this fact. Going home and seeing your grandmother could cost you or her unspeakable sorrow. 

So much has changed in the world and our country this year. If people want things to go back to how they once were, you must sacrifice some things, one of them being a normal Thanksgiving. 

Nobody is saying you cannot have a typical Thanksgiving dinner, followed by some pumpkin pie and football. People are saying to stay within your typical bubble and skip out of seeing your extended family like you would any other year.

I know this year my family is planning a nice Zoom call to catch up and talk to each other. There are so many ways to still see your family without exposing yourself and them to the coronavirus. 

Unfortunately, after this holiday I fear numbers will spike if people do not stay at home. Again, if we want normalcy, we must sacrifice some things that we love. I know for a fact I would rather sacrifice a holiday than a human life. 

So please, stay safe, stay home and stay healthy this holiday season. One way or another, we can still make this Thanksgiving memorable without making it dangerous.

 

agiampag@ramapo.edu