So every year, we celebrate January as a New Year. We throw around resolutions, we discuss clauses involving “new beginnings” and say things like, “out with the old and in with the new.”
Never have these sentiments been more true than now, at the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021. For those of us event coordinators, who’ve been told that the word “event” is now forbidden, this means in a very real way that we have to let go of the old way of doing celebrations and actually invent “new”. Gatherings could literally be dangerous. But when it comes to our collective mental health, curling up in our homes permanently could also be dangerous! We need each other.
So we have begun this new year encouraging people to celebrate life and the people in it; we just have to do it differently. Yes, you can marry the guy. You may have to do your reception open house style though, with 25 people coming and going at a time. Yes, you can still do graduation. You may have to do it from your car and drive down a red carpet instead of walking on one, but wear your cap and gown anyway and take pictures with your family anyway. Yes, you can still have a baby shower. But your friends ship your gifts and then you open them online and they all watch in their jammies from their living rooms, cheering you on and typing in the comments how cute the baby bathtub is.
As in all things, we have a choice. We can focus on what we can’t do, or we can be excited about what we can. Now more than ever, call the professionals! We’re friends with the Health Department gals and we can get answers on what’s allowed, and what’s not. We’ll follow the rules but have the party, anyway.
Congratulations, on your engagement or your diploma or your baby. You deserve to capture the moment, to be celebrated. It’s new beginnings for all of us! Now more than ever!
Let 2021 be our Genesis. Happy New Year, everyone!