Will we have large family gatherings again?

[Lissy23]

I feel so sad that Christmas may not involve all the family like usual this year, my DS loves to play with his cousins. It makes me feel upset that he won’t get to do that any time soon. They don’t live nearby so we all get together a couple of times a year.
It’s my MIL’s 70th this year and we were all meant to be going away as one big family, but I guess that won’t be happening either

[saltycat]

We have to keep an eye on how things pan out over the Summer, and then we are in Flu season and all that.

I wouldn't worry about it too much right now, day by day and no plans is the way to go now.

No one died for lack of Christmas, but many did and will because of Covid. Let us all be sensible and see what is advised.

It is July tomorrow, no need to fret just yet!

[Lissy23]

@saltycat I know all that, but having nothing to look forward to is so awful. I know it sounds dramatic. But every year I look forward to Christmas and family time. Everything feels so empty.

[saltycat]

No, you and your family are (hopefully) all alive and Covid free. That is not the case for everyone.

Count your blessings and take it a week at a time.

Bless you.

[BogRollBOGOF]

We will. It's frustrating to not know when though.

Family is so important. Frail people often cling on to life that little bit longer for celebrations like Christmas, birthdays and anniversaries. It's a very powerful motivator to keep living.

Life in previous centuries was bloody tough, but there was all manner of frequent celebrations and festivities to punctuate life with. There was a reason why Charles II was restored after the joyless puritanical laws of Cromwell. It's not natural to never have something to look forwards to.

[Bol87]

I’m much the same in that I like having things to look forwards too but this year, the best thing to do is just accept it for what it is. We’ve no idea where we will be in Autumn/Winter. I’m fully preparing for a quieter Christmas but that doesn’t mean it can’t be really special for kids and you. Thankfully Santa is immune to Covid 😄 And we just need to keep thinking, it’s just one year. And all we can do is make the most of what we can.

But who knows. Maybe there will be a vaccine by Christmas. It still seems optimistic but not completely improbable.

[SallyWD]

I know what you mean. My DH and I alternate Christmases with our families. It was supposed to be Christmas with my family this year. My parents are very old. Who knows if they'll be around in December 2022?

[rookiemere]

I hope by Christmas some general sanity will have prevailed and we might be allowed to make our own decisions about who we have in our own house.
We all have to live with some level of risk and it's hardly a kindness to deny elderly relatives a chance to spend time with their family, nor is it a sin to want more to look forward to than merely being alive.

[BogRollBOGOF]

@rookiemere

I hope by Christmas some general sanity will have prevailed and we might be allowed to make our own decisions about who we have in our own house.
We all have to live with some level of risk and it's hardly a kindness to deny elderly relatives a chance to spend time with their family, nor is it a sin to want more to look forward to than merely being alive.

I hope that elderly MiL's health holds out long enough for us to fly over and visit her again. With flying and staying multiple days in the equation it's a different level of risk to just driving a few hours along the motorway and she's not ready for that at present. We're putting a lot of faith in her mother having reached her mid-90s...

There's more hazards than Covid in the world and a lot of families will end up facing grief with the pain of not having travelled to see family in the final months of loved ones, whatever the cause of death, hearts, organs, blood vessels etc aren't guarenteed to last forever anyway.

A tough bereavement in childhood taught me to celebrate living as much as possible while you can.

[Startyanodealstockpile]

We've already decided to stay at home for Christmas. I don't want to expose my parents and I know my siblings will be more lax than I am. Also, if we are facing No Deal chaos as well, I'll not feel like spending time with the people who voted for it.

[FrugiFan]

Christmas is 6 months away. Look at how much has changed in the past 2 montha only - going from "full" lockdown and hundreds of deaths per day, to a greatly reduced lockdown and far fewer deaths. Who knows where we will be in another 6 months time. Maybe the deaths will continue to go down and stay at a low level, maybe we will have a vaccine or more cure and prevention options, maybe not. I dont see the point in getting upset about something which is, in terms of the pandemic, a long way down the road.