Blog

Now More than Ever

January 18th, 2022 by Kenneth Abrahams

What we do has always been important, it has always mattered. We have helped families make milestone events a bit more special. Having recently celebrated a family event, I was reminded firsthand just how important these memories are. Corporations have utilized us to celebrate anniversaries, grand openings, very profitable years, to keep employees engaged, and to simply allow their staff and families the chance to meet, mingle, and have a bit of fun during the summer or the holidays. Colleges bring us in to welcome students at the beginning of the academic year and then when they return in January, we are often an integral part of alumni events like reunions or homecomings. Every fall weekend from mid-September to early November we are part of Family and/or Friends weekends on a myriad of college campuses.

There is no question that COVID has significantly impacted that. From March of 2020 until late August of that same year we did no live events. Thanks to the internet and an ability to make some of our events available virtually. We still did events but, it wasn’t the same. Often, our participants were muted with their cameras off. They were simply a black box with a name on a screen. To be fair, some of the participants truly engaged with us and with others on the call. We were treated to animals walking across keyboards and toddlers, in various stages of dress, walking or running through the event, always providing a little levity. Regardless of how successful they were, it was not like being there and doing the events in person.

Just so all of you are aware, this blog is going to break a rule or two. They say that blogs should be all business and not too personal. Sorry folks not this time because for or me personally, COVID has been a giant pain in the ass. My son was scheduled to get married in May of 2020. He and his bride had scheduled a big wedding celebration near her parents in Tucson, Arizona. Clearly that didn’t happen. About a week before their date, they decided to get married in our backyard. It was a very small celebration with the Rabbi, my wife and I, the Best Man and the Best Woman, and their dog of honor. Including the dog and a few additional spouses there were only about 10 of us in attendance with others watching on zoom. It was a nice celebration, but not the joyous friend and family filled event the couple had in mind. They moved that to May of 2021.

Many colleges and universities returned to campus in the fall of 2020 and started doing live events. Of course, this was pre-vaccine so there were significant protocols in place, and they were very different than events prior to March of 2020. Attendance was limited, masks (in most cases) were required, and people needed to pre-register for a specific time to attend to keep the crowd sizes down to keep from creating a super spreader event. Clearly, these were not the events we were used to, but they were better than nothing. Despite the masks, the limited attendance, hand sanitizer being sprayed everywhere, temperature checks and the enforced social distancing, it was better than nothing. We worked outside later in the fall and started in the great outdoors earlier in the spring (winter actually) then ever before.

As for my son’s wedding that was originally moved to May of 2021, there was a concern that not everyone would be able to be vaccinated, so, again, it was moved, to January of 2022.

By the fall of 2021, vaccines were readily available, and many higher educational institutions required them for faculty, staff, and students. In some cases, they required them of vendors and any guests on campus. Outdoor events became, for several schools, maskless. It was great to see people smiling, hugging, and not being fearful of getting too close. As a matter of fact, it was just great to see people’s whole faces again. Attendance at many of these events hit record numbers. It was like the good old days, long lines of folks waiting for photos or other products. When we packed up at the end of events, we had little or no product to load back into vans or cars. Several times we had to close out dates because we simply didn’t have the equipment or staff to take on any more events. It truly felt like what we did really mattered. We were making a difference, creating memories, and making great events even more special.

If any of us had a crystal ball, we would have kept the Wedding on May 2021 date as Omicron and January weather significantly impacted their nuptials, but regardless of the delays, my son and his beautiful bride finally tied the knot in front of their family and friends on January 9, 2022. It was everything you’d expect it to be, a wonderful ceremony celebrating the union of two people that truly love one another. For many, it was a bit more. This was not only the culmination of an almost 2 year wait, but it was also a chance to see old friends, face to face, for many since this began almost 2 years ago. First off, if you have never been to a Jewish wedding, they are a bit different. There are a number of elements of a traditional ceremony, signing of the marriage contract, circling one another 7 times (traditionally it is the bride circling the groom) but some couples modify this, smashing of the glass, getting married under a canopy, and the blessing and drinking of the wine. During the reception, the dancing of the Hora and lifting the bride and groom up on chairs is a site to behold. It looks like joyous chaos, which, in fact, it is.

Standing off to the side, I realized why so many have struggled with the pandemic. Humans in general are social creatures, not all of them, but most. To not have these celebrations or not be able to spend holidays with family and friends, for some, is more than disheartening. Much has been written about the lack of socialization among younger people and the mental hardships that people of all ages have suffered. Getting back to these live events is important, for so many reasons. Whether you are having a family milestone event, trying to rebuild community on a college campus, or make employees feel valued, there is no better way to do this than getting people together face to face, safely of course. It is great to be a part of this and great to help people reconnect again. Truth be told it feels good to be back, it feels nice to matter again. Thanks to all the people that have worked so hard on both virtual and live events. We truly appreciate and thank all of you. Wishing all of you a socially active 2022.

About the Author:

Ken Abrahams has never taken a psychology course and has never played a psychologist or psychiatrist on TV, but he reads a lot and has observed a lot of people before and during the pandemic.