Items

• 2020-11-25

  Covid Thanksgiving

  In the midst of a pandemic, my parents also separated which left an intense question looming over the heads of my siblings and me. Who was going to be with who for Thanksgiving? I was informed about a week before Thanksgiving that all of my siblings were going to stay in Florida with my mother, which left me having to decide whether I was going to leave my dad in North Carolina alone or stay in Florida where I can finally spend time with my long-distance boyfriend after a long semester. I decided that no one should be along for such a great holiday and booked an impromptu flight from Florida to North Carolina. As my departure date approached I began to get very excited to spend time with my dad who I rarely saw, all the while the Covid-19 cases around the country were trending upward at an alarming rate. While out doing chores, my dad called me and expressed concern about being flying up in a plane and potentially exposing myself to the virus, which would in turn expose him. After a long conversation, my dad finally decided that he did not want me coming to Thanksgiving and disinvited me to his house. In a turmoil of emotions, I was obviously disappointed and hurt that my dad asked me not to come, but at the same time, I understood that as a 70-year-old man he was a high-risk citizen and I had to be mindful of his situation.