Passionate Potpourri

Celebrating the holiday season amid the pandemic left people of all ages wondering about familial relationships while pondering long-standing traditions.

Some folks refused to stay home for a variety of reasons; others hunkered down. It was the end of a long, hard year for most of us.

Many people responded nostalgically to the fear and uncertainty.

Some tried to recreate modern versions of the iconic images produced by Currier and Ives –smiling faces and horsedrawn sleighs dashing across snow covered fields on the way to grandma and grandpa’s house.

Currier and Ives was a successful American printmaking firm based in New York City from 1835 to 1907 that reproduced paintings by fine artists using black and white lithography. The prints were then hand-colored and marketed as “colored engravings for the people.” The artwork became a symbol of Christmas in the United States.

Others opted for the more modern version captured by Norman Rockwell, 1894-1978.

Rockwell’s art epitomizes the image of American family life for older generations who grew up during the 1940s and 50s. His artwork graced countless editions of Saturday Evening Post magazine. Rockwell’s art remains popular into the 21st century

Reality for some people was in sharp contrast to Currier and Ives’ or Rockwell’s versions of the holiday season. For untold numbers, the pandemic meant freedom from the constraints of traditional celebrations.

COVID-19 is a highly transmissible disease; evidence indicates that small indoor gatherings and mixed household events are the source of the fastest spread of the novel coronavirus. That knowledge provided the “perfect excuse” for avoiding family gatherings, which meant no face-to-face confrontations between relatives.

No specific data is available about how many adults are estranged from their parents by choice. It is likely far more common than most of us want to acknowledge. Experts in familial relationships believe that up to 20 percent of young adults no longer interact with their parents and the trend is rising. There are lots of reasons – the most common factors focus on emotional abuse, different expectations for family roles, conflict based on personality or values, and neglect.

“It’s so much less stressful not worrying about seeing her,” said a 34-year-old, speaking about her mother.

“Once we cut ties, every year at the holidays we’ve just felt more and more relief,” said one woman in an interview.

"I miss him," another woman said about her father.

"But I feel strong instead of sad," she said in an interview published on Dec. 23, huffpost.com.

A totally different aspect of the pandemic, which has resulted in a worldwide economic downturn, is how people are responding to those whose lives have been dramatically changed during the past 10 months.

It almost seems like the rich have gotten richer while most Americans have struggled to keep from drowning in debt. But this expanded economic rift has been accompanied by an outpouring of donations to local food banks, crowdfunding campaigns, and other aid to financially devastated Americans.

Countless people have responded by giving $10 or $20 to charitable organizations. For some people this is past year was their first time making a donation to a non-profit entity.

Many non-profits suffered last year because the pandemic shuttered galas and fundraisers. But donations to some small and mid-sized charitable organizations were up 7.6 percent in the first nine months of 2020 compared to 2019 levels. The number of donors increased by 11.7 percent, according to a recent analysis by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, which tracks nearly 2,500 charitable groups.

The trend appears to have continued into December, typically the most active time for charitable giving in the United States. Charities had received $2.47 billion in donations as of Dec. 1, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving known as “Giving Tuesday.” That was a 25 percent increase from 2019, according to reuters.com.

So good news and sad news for this past holiday season - more acts of kindness but fewer families celebrating together.

No matter our religious beliefs, economic status, or political affiliations people continue to offer a helping hand to others while we all work together to survive the pandemic.