The entire world has changed since last Thanksgiving.  It seems a life-time ago when we were free, without worry, to gather with family and friends around the same table; and, share food from the same plates without having to worry about spreading the covid-19 virus.  Looking back and ahead, I cannot help to think about how differently we are celebrating Thanksgiving today (covid-19 style).

This past year has given us a lot to lament about and it is all justified.  Our feelings matter. 

• Missing gathering with friends and family, matters. 

• Missing life events, matters. 

• Missing watching our kids’ sports games, matters. 

• Missing entertainment, matters.

• Missing supporting family and friends face-to-face and in-person, matters. 

While we have been doing a lot of “missing” lately, we have faith that things will start getting better; and, that our misses will be blips on our life journey.  We will recount the “covid-19 style” days and hope that our children will tell their children who will tell their children; and, 100 years later when another centennial pandemic hits (because history shows us that it will) our great-great grandchildren can talk about the time when their ancestors lived through this horrible world pandemic too. 

We are, indeed, living in a historical time that others will reference when the next pandemic hits.  So, while missing matters, it is how we respond to all of the missing parts of life that we are experiencing.  That matters too.

We take the spirit of Thanksgiving and recognize that it goes beyond sharing our love over a feast with family and friends.  It means taking that same essence of Thanksgiving and relying on it, even when we cannot see our family and friends.  It means being concerned for our family and friends enough that we skip this year’s huge Thanksgiving gathering.  We have been encouraged to make it a point, to gather with those that only live in our household.

Next year, when we are gathering with family and friends around the same table and sharing food from the same plates in a huge celebration, we will look back and remind ourselves, what a difference a Thanksgiving makes.  Happy (different) Thanksgiving and blessings for your family, friends and whoever you are able to share Thanksgiving with, this year!

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and the Founder of the eRetailer Summit and JC Event Group. An expert in her field, Sonya has been published in numerous retail industry b-to-b publications.  Sonya shares her experiences in her book series Mindful Minutes:  A Marketer’s Journey Through Business.  In addition, Sonya collaborated in publishing an anthology, Mentoring Moments:  14 Remarkable Women Share Their Breakthroughs to Success. Purchase Sonya’s books here.

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter and they live in Trumbull, Connecticut.  

Follow Sonya on twitter at @jarvisconsult or @eretailersummit