By Richard Budman
Here we are on Christmas Day 2020. What a year this has been.
For most of us, this Christmas will not be the same.
We will not be surrounded by all our family and loved ones this year to help us celebrate Christmas.
We will not be traveling or partaking in many of the traditional holiday activities that we love. We might even have to call or Zoom to say Merry Christmas to our family members who aren’t able to celebrate in person with us.
But in a strange way, this will be a merry, merry Christmas. In fact, this is the epitome of Christmas.
For the vast majority of us, we now have a common bond…. Surviving COVID together.
We all have someone we knew who did not survive and we mourn their loss.
The loss of life is catastrophic and tragic, but for most of us we will survive and with the new vaccine, hopefully, return to normal lives soon.
We must all rejoice in the fact that we will overcome the pandemic. We must all pitch in together to help our fellow people across the globe get back to work, reopen their businesses and return to a normal life.
It’s the time of year when we celebrate joy, peace and good will toward all, especially in such a dreadful year filled with so much pain.
So many people have lost loved ones in this pandemic, families are struggling to put food on the their tables and businesses remain closed.
Many others remain isolated from their family and friends.
But in these very difficult times, we have seen the goodness in people, the spirit of Christmas coming out and a willingness to give in a spirit of love to one another.
All over the world people have reached out to help people in need in their communities.
Santa Clarita is no exception. The amount of giving here is wonderful and amazing. We are a community filled with loving, giving and caring people. We come together to help “our own” like no community we’ve ever seen.
People dropping off meals to hospital workers and first responders, donating protective supplies, giving food to people who are hungry, and countless other acts of kindness.
Perhaps the hardships we’ve all endured together have helped to bring us a renewed meaning and purpose to this Christmas.
This Christmas we should all be reminded that faith, hope and love shall always remain no matter what. No matter how much we endure and how much pain we all have seen.
Faith in the good people in our community who have performed all these acts of kindness.
Hope that our hardships and this pandemic will soon pass.
And love for our family, friends and neighbors, especially those who are suffering.
We should all look for ways to help our neighbors in need. This is what we all can do right now.
I would like to extend my season’s greetings to my Signal family, to our loyal advertisers, and above all to you, our readers.
The entire Signal staff joins me in wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Please celebrate Christmas today with your family and friends. Show them love and show them you care, even if it is by telephone or Zoom.
Richard Budman is the owner and publisher of The Signal.
