This Christmas season is the most unsettling of my lifetime. The holiday spirit experienced so many times in the past has this year remained elusive. But perhaps it’s still here, just in a different form.

It’s easy to blame the pandemic for a feeling of isolation and gloom. The virus spreading through the world is a danger, unlike anything lived since the last great pandemic in 1918. Regardless of how people view the COVID-19 risk, how they make choices to gather as families or isolate alone, for me, at a deep level an uneasiness grips me. And those feelings paint the days of this Christmas season.

I accept this reality. It’s right in front of me every day. And rather than dwell in the thoughts and feelings, I make a choice to move ahead with my life. The decisions are mine. They may not be yours.

So in this strange time Christmas has taken on a new meaning for me. It’s not a time of family celebration, of exchanging gifts, singing carols, or any of the multitude of things I’ve taken part of in the past.

This year Christmas has become a time of spiritual reflection and a recognition of the blessings that have been bestowed upon myself, my family and friends, and the world. If you’re a Christian that celebration may focus on the birth of a Savior of the world. And if you’re not, you may find your own meaning for the holiday.

I often ride my Vespa on Christmas morning, an action to embrace solitude and give thanks for life. But this year I will remain at home and whisper a prayer for peace on earth and goodwill towards all.

Best wishes and warm regards for each of you who read these words. May the day, indeed all your days, be filled with a recognition of the good in your life. There is light in the world and there is darkness.

I choose the light.

Merry Christmas!