It’s Time To Tell Your Family You Won’t Be Home For The Holidays And Here’s How
Here’s the truth: Covid numbers are increasing across the nation because of Thanksgiving. This means that it is time to make the tough call and cancel whatever in-person holiday gathering you might have. It is also time to tell your parents that you won’t be coming home for the holidays. It’s for everyone’s health and safety.
“Saturday Night Live” had a sketch showing the tough conversation we all need to have with our families.
Watching SNL’s “The Christmas Conversation” sketch is all too real. The holidays are some of the most important times for our families. It is the only time of year that the family regularly gathers to share gifts, love, and spend time together. However, Covid and the out of control post-Thanksgiving spread of the virus is enough reason to officially cancel any Christmas gatherings.
This year is going to require an unprecedented level of commitment not to see your family.
People around the world are being urged not to gather this year. Countries are implement restrictions on gathering to keep the spread of the virus under control. In the U.S., the Trump administration has not taken any steps to protect the American people leaving it up to the individual states to set their own restrictions to limit the spread of Covid.
So, how do you tell your family you won’t be there this year?
Start with the facts. It is important to remind your family that you are not skipping the holidays because you don’t want to be there. You are skipping one holiday season to keep everyone safe. We are all experiencing a surge of cases in the U.S. because people held in-person Thanksgiving gatherings despite the risk to public health.
There are a lot of factors that are at play when gathering with family. Gathering for the holidays at this point is dangerous and can lead to wide outbreaks of the virus among families. Before making the decision to gather, consider the well-being of your family.
First, the elderly are particularly vulnerable to developing serious complications if they contract Covid. This means that our abuelos are vulnerable to the symptoms and complications that can lead to hospitalization and death.
Second, underlying health conditions can make Covid fatal. This means people with diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other major health ailments. The Latino community is one of the most at-risk communities for diabetes and heart disease. People with Type 2 diabetes, the type Latinos are most likely to develop, are at a higher risk of serious illness than those with Type 1 diabetes.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the leading medical minds in the nation, is urging Americans to do the right thing and not gather.
Everyone is making the tough choice to forgo the holiday season with family this year. It is a way of keeping your family safe and healthy and guaranteeing another chance to gather next year. It is a hard choice for people to make but it is an important choice.
Be honest with your family about your concerns. Let them know that you are not comfortable traveling to them and risking contracting the virus and exposing everyone. Our family units are one of the most important things in our lives. This holiday season, give them the best gift and prioritize their health and safety but not merging households for an in-person gathering. Go virtual and keep everybody safe.
