This Thanksgiving was a reality check for many people. It was the first family oriented, major holiday since the pandemic brought the world to a halt.
This year the holiday looked and felt much different. Family holiday gatherings were atypical.
Family is Far
What used to be a celebration with 25 people had dwindled to 10 or fewer. Family from out of state stayed out of state. Grandma and Grandpa stayed home. As did aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.
Covid-19 has a major effect on how we live our everyday lives. And it is affecting our seniors who need to protect themselves at a much higher level than most younger people.
Even though many seniors cannot get together with their family this holiday season there are ways to help them be festive.
How to Help
It is our responsibility to help the Greatest Generation enjoy the holidays during a time that they may feel isolated and alone.
We have the choice to be optimistic and we can instill that in others. There are ways to celebrate and have fun for the holidays this year.
Share the simple pointers below with your elder loved ones to help them be cheerful this season:
Don’t underestimate the simple things. Playing holiday music is as easy as it gets and can change someone’s mood. Simply turn on the radio and enjoy. Holiday songs bring back many positive memories of years gone by.
Decorate, decorate, decorate! Just because only you may see your home this holiday season, don’t use that as an excuse to not be festive. Christmas lights twinkling and the smell of evergreen can get you in the spirit.
Watch holiday movies. Watching a feel-good movie while relaxing with a cup of cocoa and snuggling on the couch can do wonders for the soul. It helps us remember that there is good in the world. Whatever your taste, whether It’s A Wonderful Life or The Grinch that Stole Christmas, you will feel warm and fuzzy by the time the credits roll.
Send care packages to loved ones. Fill them with holiday cheer. They don’t have to be elaborate or expensive to make someone feel good. Cookies and candies, handwritten notes or cards, crafts, games and holiday music CD’s are just a few ideas. Use this opportunity to show your love through being thoughtful. An unexpected gift will make anyone feel good.
Plan and execute your traditional holiday meal. Don’t let those traditions slip away even though it will likely be with a smaller group this year. There is a rewarding feeling once everything comes out of the oven and is laid on the dinner table. Whether cooked to perfection or burned to a crisp, you will feel accomplished.
Next year we will likely be back to the normal hustle and bustle of the customary holiday season as this pandemic will come to an end. People are resilient.
Positive thought, during a time of such uncertainty, may be the most important tool we have.
This post was written by Leigh Stocker, Director of Marketing for Summercrest Senior Living in Newport, New Hampshire.
You can reach Leigh at 603-863-8181 or lstocker@summercrest.net
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