The Power of Gatherings

Vaccinations and new medications are carving a healthier future for us all. The timing couldn’t be better with Thanksgiving and Christmas upon us. In 2020 we could not safely gather; for the holidays in 2021, I hope we can.

Covid taught me the power of gatherings. Without them, I suffered, the memories of past meetups almost too painful to conjure. The Delta variant forced us to stay home, bubbling with a few friends or relatives our only recourse; no haphazard collections of people allowed.

Turns out my imagination and my writing took hits because I missed the stimulation of travels, new scenery, and lots of people.

I’m thankful I was able to keep golfing with my club even though members couldn’t share carts for a time, which cut the chat opportunity in half. At the 19th hole, we sat outdoors, shouting details about our tricky shots from six feet away while we drank wine from our own stashes. A collection of golf buddies, I call it, not an authentic gathering.

At the front of this article, you see an assembly of boaters sharing stories, drink, and food in front of our sweet Krogen, Intrepid. This yearly assembly at Kwatsi Bay, B.C., was a past joy. U.S. Boaters couldn’t cruise to Canada, for nineteen months! I think of all the riveting boat stories untold.

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How about family reunions like the one I enjoyed in Louisville, Kentucky, three years ago? When will such an event bring so many together again? Not in 2021; maybe not in 2022. Some children are still unvaccinated; numerous family members are unsure about the safety of flying and/or staying in hotels. A few relatives refuse to accept the disease as real, much less take remedies for it.

I miss the collections of people, the assemblies of friends, relatives, even strangers. Will they happen again in this boomer’s lifetime? Some say no.

So, I’m cobbling together groups as best I can, trying not miss the people who couldn’t or wouldn’t join us.

For now, I focus on the joy we bring to each other when we do gather, thankful for the opportunities.