It’s the time of year we’re all familiar with. Whatever culture you come from, it’s hard to escape the fact that “tis the season”. No matter your preference of celebration, the end of the year is generally a time when people come together.
During these few weeks, we will all be flooded with photos of couples kissing in Times Square, and partners holding gloved hands in the falling snow. Every store has blaring seasonal love songs, each commercial suggest our lover’s wants, and the inevitable question,
“Are they coming for Christmas?”
You can’t deny that it’s a season meant to be spent together, even for those apart. On a day filled with cookies and sweets, we can’t help but feel burned and bitter if we are apart from the ones we love.
Growing up with the holiday brought traditions and quirks unique to us all. Aside from the impending family fight, or toys breaking out of the box, we create experiences that travel with us. There’s always a memory that continues on and is reminisced of decades later.
Regardless of the holiday, it’s built on shared experiences, and it seems impossible with being apart. Yet here we are. So many are stuck across borders, isolated by distance, or cut off by Covid restrictions during one of the more important days of the year. As if the stress of the holiday wasn’t enough, we don’t have our partner to fall back on and we are all facing increased isolation.
How can we handle this?
Even with such heart-ache, being apart over the holidays can be a blessing in disguise. We may not want to admit that, and if we could snap our fingers we’d all reunite this very second, but this year we have an opportunity to make something wonderful. Begs the question, especially for myself, how can I make this holiday enjoyable?
Firstly, let’s not lose sight of what we create during the holidays: memories. 2020 will go down in history, and we’ll all get the T-shirt, but how does that help us enjoy our special day?
At the risk of sounding corny, make it a holiday to remember. This is the perfect year to craft something worth remembrance, that will not only last a lifetime, but enhance our relationships.
Even if it seems childish and cliché, embrace the weird and dive in! Will you open gifts over Zoom, light candles over skype, or just share an intimate dinner? If you’re looking for ideas, here is our master list of long-distance holiday activities.
Keep your Christmas Traditions
Don’t neglect tradition just because it may feel odd. Adapt your favourite part of the holidays to accommodate a virtual aspect, and continue these special moments as if they were by your side.
As for myself, I’ll be getting up early, in my pajamas, and immediately skyping my lady. After a mountain of breakfast, a gallon of coffee, we’ll open gifts, make a gingerbread house, and take her to family dinner. As the family gathers, I’ll have a seat for my laptop, where my lady was supposed to be. Is that weird? Absolutely. Do I care? No. At a certain point we have to embrace the idea, that this strange year, we can lavish in the oddity. I look forward to hearing all the unique and inspiring ways people enjoyed this season apart. Maybe you just want to sleep all day, and I can respect that more than most, but if other relationships will be enjoying their holiday together, so will we.
Make every moment count
It’s important to embrace every moment. In a long-distance relationship, it’s easy to fall into a pattern and we can let these occasions be just another day. With the holiday, try to make every hour something special.
Plan it out, write it down, and have so much planned you feel exhausted by night! The 2020 holiday season may not be what you expect, but fill it with good memories nonetheless.
Practice patience!
You may be mailing gifts instead of delivering them by hand and might be experiencing a delay with some of your packages. Don’t let the lack or presence of presents steal away the joy that comes with the holiday. This isn’t just another day, so weave your own memorable masterpiece, to look back on what you accomplished with pride though being so far apart.
Hold on to your hope
Whatever this season means to you, it’s fair to say that hope is a main theme. For those of us in a long-distance relationship, hope may be all we have. Among this pandemic, the uncertainty of restrictions and limitations, we may feel we’re scraping the bottom of the barrel when it comes to holding out hope. Most of us don’t know when we’ll hug our love again.
Remember though that although the date may be unknown, we still can look forward to that day. Focus on that hope, and the joy it brings with it. Hope keeps us warm and bright on the dark cold and lonely nights. Hope lets us look forward to holding hands on sunny beaches, or just feeling the touch of our loved ones once again. Us long distancers, we hope far more than most: a genuine sign that we don’t give up when things get tough.
Those who have found true love have found something unique. Through a global pandemic, we’ve been tested through the fire, and come out on the other side. This will be my most lonely Christmas, but my most hopeful. Let’s press on during this time, if we can make it though Covid apart, we can conquer anything together.