It’s the week of Thanksgiving, and I am really looking forward to Thursday. We’re staying in town this year, but I have the desire to do something different than just lounge around the house all day (which I usually like to do). We haven’t been to the parade in Charlotte in a while, and now that I just googled it and learned the Novant Health Thanksgiving Parade is on Thanksgiving Eve this year, I’m really excited. This means I can do something special and lounge around the house on Thursday. I like to keep my options open.

I’m also excited about the upcoming Christmas holiday. My kids and I are flying west to Idaho, where I grew up, for a good dose of cold and snow and the outdoor activities that go with them. But what I’m looking forward to most is seeing family and friends, and participating in local events there—and that’s a new feeling for me. 

Like many introverts, I’m not used to wanting to attend social gatherings as much as I have lately. Meeting people and being part of a group suddenly strike me as fun. I have a newfound appreciation for random strangers and for community events, and for the people who organize and host them. A positive of Covid, I suspect. 

So this month’s feature article, about the power of gathering in community, resonated with me. While I know I will not magically transform into an extravert, I would like to hold on to how good it feels to be involved. The long isolation of being in a pandemic helped me get to this place, and while I never want to repeat that experience, I’m grateful that it made me grateful for other people. 

Wishing you a December of community with family, friends and random strangers, 

Shannon