Silver Linings: A Reimagined Thanksgiving
When working in client services, an important skill we learn is the ability to pivot and find creative solutions when faced with a challenge.
The Covid-19 pandemic has forced us to restructure our lives in ways we wouldn’t have imagined possible at this time last year. While we’ve made it work with Zoom calls, home workouts and outdoor dining, there has been one high-stakes challenge amidst the pandemic that has been tough to find a creative solution for: the ability to safely spend time with family.
While Thanksgiving weekend is traditionally the largest travel weekend of the year, this year, more people than ever before, myself included, decided to forgo family traditions to stay home to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 to loved ones. As the rates continue to rise in New York City, my family decided together that it would be best for us each to remain home instead of mix households for the holiday.
If there is one thing I’ve observed from Prosek’s culture, it is our quick ability to turn a problem upside down and find a resolution. Like so many others, I may not have been able to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with my family spread across New York, New Jersey and Las Vegas, but spending the holiday with our quarantine family in the city made for one of the most memorable celebrations to date. Our small group here, including close friends and Prosek colleagues, was able to experience a proper 2020 Thanksgiving (think: long lines for both testing and Trader Joe’s, and plenty of hand sanitizer) all with gratitude for each other.
While the outcome may not be exactly what was envisioned, letting go of the desired end result can often lead to one surprising themselves with an outcome even better than anticipated. So much has had to take a backseat this year, but through our reactions and resolutions, this year has taught me that with a little creative thinking, we can collectively find silver linings everywhere. 