Here in Cincinnati, it's a rather cold, dreary Sunday morning in the midst of spiking COVID numbers. The fall leaves are gone, and the prospect of a long winter is staring us in the face. Yet, I'm sitting here in my home office (while the rest of the family is still snug in their beds) and it's already been a full day. Why? Let me start with a quote from one of my favorite coaches of all time:
"There are three things we should all do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number 1 is laugh - you should laugh every day. Number 2 is think - you should spend some time in thought. Number 3 is - you should have your emotions moved to tears; could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heckuva day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special." - Jim Valvano
I woke up this morning to a video on my Facebook feed that I remember seeing right at the beginning of the pandemic-induced lock down, and it brought a smile to my face yet again.
Are You Ready For This - Father/Daughter
Then I started thinking about how, eight months into this global nightmare, we are about to enter a holiday season that will be unlike any other that we have experienced. I've been thinking a lot about how we honor old traditions, while also creating positive memories in this crazy year. Just because it is different doesn't mean it has to be bad. Gatherings may be small (or non-existent) but time with family and friends may be able to happen virtually, distanced, or in other creative ways. There are still ways to create lasting memories.
I bounced back to Facebook, and it must have been reading my thoughts as the following video quickly showed up. As the music played I could feel the emotions well up...
Memories - One Voice Children's Choir
Here's to the ones that we got
Cheers to the wish you were here, but you're not
'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories
Of everything we've been through
Toast to the ones here today
Toast to the ones that we lost on the way
'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories
And the memories bring back, memories bring back you
As we enter the holiday season, it's already been a very full day for me. All of us at RDFA hope you are able to have many full days during this holiday season, and that you stay safe and healthy.