In the last year, a lot has changed. The transition from our pre-COVID to COVID lives was sudden and jarring, as the flu we’d been hearing about on the news overseas suddenly arrived on our own doorsteps. We have begun to adjust… somewhat.

On January 6, many of us were glued to the news as we witnessed history being made—and not the good kind. Most readers will be aware of the events that occurred in Washington DC as far-right protestors (rioters) entered the U.S. Capitol by force. Windows were smashed, belongings stolen, and a symbol of American democracy was, by most accounts, tarnished. People were injured, and a few died.

“Keep your feet on the ground. Keep your head out of the clouds.” Some of us may have heard admonishments like this when we were young. The implication, of course, is that the real world—the world of jobs, and taxes, and indoor plumbing—is the important world. It is the world you should be paying attention to.

One year ago, I was packing for a big trip—the biggest trip of my life. For a couple of years, my husband and I had been making plans to travel to the Philippines, so he could introduce me to the country of his birth, visit family and friends, and also do a bit of island-hopping.

Treated Like Family / To Break a Tradition?

The Darker Side of the Holidays