Adjusting to the new reality — and giving thanks

Is it possible to be safe this Thanksgiving and holiday season? That’s the question that millions of families will ask themselves this week and through the end of the year. This holiday season will be unlike any in my lifetime because of the challenges presented by COVID-19. It’s hard to believe that this invisible virus, which didn’t exist a year ago, now controls our reality — a reality that Americans must take into account to protect themselves and vulnerable members of their families as they head into a celebratory season.

Although it is clear that COVID-19 cases are increasing, are many Americans willing to make sacrifices regarding their personal liberties after spending months alone or mostly in solitary? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises bringing “your own food, drinks, plates, cups and utensils” to holiday gatherings, and suggests that you should wear a mask at all times except for while eating or drinking. They even advise that meals should occur outdoors. With these types of restrictions, can Thanksgiving remain the same, or is it stripped of its meaning and just another event? It’s difficult to see how the true meaning of Thanksgiving — gathering with family and friends to express gratitude — can remain the same under such drastic circumstances. 

Despite our bizarre new reality, my hope is that people can adapt to the circumstances and still find reasons to be thankful. At the time this writing, more than 12 million Americans have contracted the virus and more than 260,000 have died. It goes without saying that this virus is wreaking havoc on Americans, who never expected their lives to come to such a sudden end or to lose the spouses, children, relatives and friends they deeply loved. The fact that we have survived the pandemic should be reason enough to give God thanks during this holiday.

So often, we find ourselves moving through life, following our daily routines, working the daily grind and chasing the next shiny object. But do we actually stop to think about the most important gift — the gift of life? How often do you pause to give thanks for the blessings you have received, regardless of the situation you may find yourself in? Having life means you have a chance to continue to improve. In tragedies such as this pandemic there always are silver linings; in this instance, COVID-19 has humbled many of us. The virus doesn’t care about people who walk around arrogantly, believing nothing can touch them because of their stature, wealth or even fame. It doesn’t distinguish by race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, political party affiliation or other distinctions — we’re all equal, and there’s something about that reality that should give us all humility and grace. 

Perhaps this is the reality check that America needed — a check on greed, a check on consumption, a check on walking away from God and faith. The 2020 election cycle demonstrated just how much politics has divided us, so much so that we’ve become nearly unrecognizable to ourselves. Hopefully, when the dust settles from the election, rather than continued strife and division, a sense of calmness will prevail and there will be calls for us to return to civility, norms and the moral standards that have made the United States the greatest country in the world. We should welcome this opportunity to reflect and reunite.

While it has certainly not been easy to adjust to this “new normal,” surviving the pandemic will require unity, something that our country has been lacking for far too long. As we practice the safety guidelines outlined by doctors and scientists, let us also return to higher ideals. This Thanksgiving, we should remember the standards and ideals laid by our Founding Fathers, that the United States of America is the greatest beacon of hope and freedom for all of the world. 

Let us give thanks that we are alive. Let us give thanks for another day, and the opportunity to be better tomorrow than we were today, and certainly better than we were yesterday. This is our goal, and perhaps the pandemic is our call to action. We cannot accomplish this alone; the burden is on each and every one of us. Be thankful and give grace, and never lose sight of just how incredible this precious, fleeting life is.

Armstrong Williams (@ARightSide) is the owner and manager of Howard Stirk Holdings I & II Broadcast Television Stations and the 2016 Multicultural Media Broadcast Owner of the Year. He is the author of “Reawakening Virtues.”