We have all lived through another 12 months of a pandemic in 2021, and I asked some of my family members what helped them get through these days.

My daughter Liz said, “Life has changed so much. We can’t do what we used to love to do (like travel), and even the little things going out to dinner or going to the movies that we used to enjoy have become impossible.

“What has helped me during these days is taking the time to make everyday things more special,” she said. “Things like using the good dishes and making sure food presentation is thoughtful and beautiful. I also took care to make things from scratch, like a compote or a pickle. Just finding ways to show that I care for my family.”

My son Michael found other things helped him in 2021.

He said, “A new game came out for PlayStation 5 called Ratchet and Clank. PlayStation Games have an award system, and this game has 47 individual trophies, ranked from easiest to most difficult.

“This was the first-ever game that I was able to collect all the trophies that were available. Gamers who are known for this are called Completionists,” he said. “ While I was never before an actual Completionist, this game was so compelling I was able to do it.

“I also continued my film review podcast with my buddy called Mike and Dane Hall of Fame. We have recorded 63 episodes available through Spotify and iTunes. We recently added watch-alongs to our collection of reviews and commentary.  

“It was easy to choose our watch-alongs. We began with the original three Star Wars movies, which came out in 1977, 1980 and 1983 respectively. My mother told me about when she and Dad went to see the original film,” Mike said. “They loved it. My father had given a loan to a local movie theater so they could rent the film. He always remembered that they repaid the loan very quickly since the film was such a hit.”

Kathy here. I kept myself busy by reading and hosting a Zoom book club. Travel became domestic and infrequent. Restaurants were replaced largely by dining al fresco or take-out.  

But I have few complaints about 2021. The year sped by, and I was able to get vaccinated and boosted in a timely fashion. Thus far, my family and I have been spared the worst of Covid, thank goodness.

Now we are in another surge with a more contagious variant, but we have done this before. We know how to take care of ourselves. We make sure we have our vaccines, mask up and behave responsibly.

I hope that next year brings an end to the reign of Covid so that we can get back to doing more of the things we enjoy. Here’s to a Happy, Healthy New Year for all!