Stop moaning and thank your lucky stars!

I wanted to start a thread on this theme but was nowhere near brave enough. Well done.

Agreed- we have totally acceptedwe won't see daughters and grandchildren until February half-term, and quite possible, not before Easter. Just not worth risking ruining all the sacrifices made so far.

PollyDolly So sorry to hear about your ex-colleagues. We, too, have lost friends and another will now be living permanently in a care home. It really brings the reality home, doesn't it?

Pollydolly yes. This is just one Christmas and I have had many. I will be very careful and although it is sad not to see family I would rather we all come through this safely and are here to meet up when most people have been vaccinated.

You put things in perspective - I agree absolutely

PollyDolly bravo ?
I feel exactly the same. It’s one Christmas in a lifetime, be grateful to be alive.

PollyDolly I’m sorry I should have said how sorry I am to hear about your colleagues, a horrid time for their families and friends.

We normally have a very large family gathering but this year we are all agreed to forgo the day and hopefully have a summer party next year.
It’s just one day, you will be happier waking up on Boxing Day, relieved that you all stayed safe.
Brave post OP, but needed saying. Thanks.

I agree Suziewoozy - I was too much a coward to put my thoughts on paper.
Why insist on having this one day of feasting and celebrating when there's a serious risk it being your last Christmas ever, or it being your Gran's or your sister's new baby's, last Christmas ever?
Bosis's Magic Covid Amnesty won't save you!

Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die!

Yes well said. This obsession with Christmas (totally unrelated to the original meaning for the most part by the way) and getting it all cut and dried etc etc drives me bonkers. And the quibbling over who goes where each year.......

It will be the last Christmas for at least 600.000 of us.

That's how many people die a year.

Without the impact of Covid.

I have always thanked my lucky stars everyday. My DH was caught up in the Kings X underground fire when I was pregnant with DS1. He was on the Malaysian Airlines flight 370 a month before it disappeared. Only last year, just before covid, he decided to retire from his job in the city and we escaped to the coast. Everyday I think about those who sadly do not survive tragedies and am grateful that thus far we have avoided them.
Ever the optimist, my Christmas decor theme this year is "reach for the stars". Everyone should try to find something, however small, to make them smile this Christmas.

Couldn't agree more

PollyDolly -
Thank you for your post. I am very sorry to hear of your ex-work colleagues. The times we are going through is beyond difficult.
I agree with you. People need to stop complaining and be grateful to be alive and healthy and able to see another Christmas or birthday or whatever the case may be.
It is very hard for families not to see one another, especially with young children or not be able to see and do what you want with friends, etc....this is ONE Thanksgiving, ONE Christmas, ONE year where we all need to do our part and distance, wear masks, wash our hands, be cognizant of what needs to be done so we can ALL move beyond this thing.
I live alone, I was alone on Thanksgiving and I will be alone on Christmas. I have two grown children who also have children. We will not see one another, probably do FaceTime (which I'm grateful for) and call it a day. It's not ideal by any stretch but WE CAN DO IT and that is such a gift.
Despite what is going on in the world, we can find good, we can find many, many things to be grateful for. It's all a matter of perspective. Things may not be ideal but believe me they could be a whole lot worse and they are a whole lot worse for many many people.

I am thankful every.single.day -

Couldn't agree more, PollyDolly - I'm content to be patient and thankful to still be here.

Agree also...
So sorry about your colleagues..

I totally agree and I think this stupid business of locking us all in so we can come out and play for 5 days is the daftest thing
I ve ever ever heard

Are we in fact starting to live up to what the Aussies call us ?! Whingeing Poms?
Moaning about which tier
Moaning about daughters in law
Etc etc

Lucretzia

It will be the last Christmas for at least 600.000 of us.

That's how many people die a year.

Without the impact of Covid.

And your point is ? Extra deaths don’t matter ?

PollyDolly. Well done, I agree completely. Better one Christmas alone than dead. Me and DH will not be doing the 5 days of Christmas.

I think this every time I see another thread by someone who goes on as though it is the end of the world if they don't see their grandchildren open their presents, or if they are not included in a Christmas Day bubble though the "other grandparents" will be. There are so many real tragedies in the world that surely we can put up with a day of inconvenience and postpone the celebrations for a while? Well done PollyDolly for airing the thought.

Nonni53 - spot on. I can understand people trying to have some sort of normality but this is far from a normal year. And don't forget this is the same worldwide. We are ALL having to make sacrifices for the greater good.

There have been far too many deaths worldwide. Let's do our bit, albeit small. It will make a difference.

PollyDolly well said. You were brave to post this and I'm pleased to see that no one (so far!) has shot you down in flames for it.

I am so sorry about your ex-colleagues - their suffering is the harsh reality of this pandemic. So many unnecessary losses - and more to come if people all decide to throw caution to the wind and get together for Christmas 'because BJ said we could'. For God's sake stop listening to BJ and use your common sense! So what if you're alone this year? So what if you have to miss one, just one family Christmas? At least it may mean you'll have several more family Christmases to look forward to.

Thanks for starting this thread - let's hope it's the wake up call that is so needed.

This is world wide. I am in the US, Massachusetts, just a very small piece of a much larger problem but it doesn't matter where a person lives in this WORLD, we are all affected by it. The situation wreaks havoc for EVERYONE. I'm not sure some people can grasp that...people become very selfish and self centered and think about how this situation affects only them and what they want. PS - EVERYONE is affected! There are still people who will not wear a mask, will not social distance, continue to have large social and family gatherings and not take this seriously. It boggles my mind! If we all did our part in our part of the world, it would make a difference. People need to stop only thinking of themselves, think of the big picture, have integrity and do the right thing!

My prayer for the world:

May all people be healthy, may all people be happy
May all people be safe, may all people live with ease.

Stay safe all -