It has been a very difficult  week with the death count rising and more senior’s residences becoming infected. Yet at the same time we celebrated the first nights of Passover and Good Friday and Easter Sunday.  More than ever, this has become a time of reflection and as I keep trying to remind myself, one of hope. Families celebrated together – emotionally, spiritually and maybe even in song- while remaining physically apart.  These holidays have never been experienced this way before and I really hope, won’t have to be ever again.

For me and perhaps for many of you, these holy days have always had a traditional familial connection rather than a religious one. The foods eaten, or perhaps the foods not eaten, while symbolic of a religious theme, also provide a cultural comfort and familial custom. It is this connection and the lifelong memories associated with these annual holiday celebrations, which I believe remain with us. For me, it is the family gathering (this year virtually), the specialty foods and singing of songs that stay. I think for many with memory decline, this holds true as well. For those who lost a loved one, an empty seat at the holiday table can be particularly difficult. For the many families that are in conflict with one another and may not be talking, this too can prove challenging.

This year so far has been unlike any other- things can change more than we could have ever imagined and I think we need our families more than ever before. Reach out to your friends and family and if we can take one thing away from these spring holidays is that we need to keep hopeful.