It’s been a while since I saw a Norman Rockwell depiction of an ideal holiday scene. Or lived one, for that matter. The first two of four holiday gatherings on my calendar were affected by illnesses – one canceled altogether. The next two, planned for this weekend and involving lots of people traveling, are in the crosshairs of a major winter storm. My two children, who are young adults, cannot be with me this year on Christmas. And early last week, on the eve of our employee holiday potluck at The Grand Rapids Press, we learned of the sudden and untimely death of one of our colleagues. Steve Kaminski was a longtime high school sports and auto racing writer for The Press who made a big impact on his coworkers and the lives of the athletes he covered. It would be easy to throw up my hands and rage at viruses, at the weather, at the unfairness of a life being taken too soon. “The good old days” seem to gleam a little more in our memories when our notions of ideal outcomes don’t pan out as we wish. But sentiment can sour into regret if we look through that distorted lens too long. And pining for an ideal future is about as effective as manifesting a PowerBall winning combination. What we have is the now and the power, within each of us, to find perspective in the things that come our way. That weekend celebration that was scrubbed, after all of the cleaning and menu planning and shopping? It ended up being two days of getting caught up in the home and at work, resting and exercising and getting a much-needed breather before the push to Christmas. Sometimes you don’t realize how hard you’re running until you’re forced to stop. The loss of Steve was devastating to his family, friends and colleagues. But at the potluck less than 24 hours after he died – a gathering he planned to attend – we were able to come together as a work family and bond around shared memories and grief. And the outpouring of tributes shared by coaches and athletes reminded us of the impact we can make in our all-too-brief time on Earth. And though we had heavy hearts, the return of the potlucks – for the first time since 2019 – was a blessing. We have been through so much, and so much has changed, since COVID entered our lives in March 2020, that the return to office work felt tenuous throughout the year. By year’s end we were back at least two days a week in most locations, and it was extremely heartening to see that energy and camaraderie generated by passionate and curious journalists has not been impaired in the least by the pandemic. That communal spirit fuels not only our best work, but my general sense of optimism as we enter 2023 and reclaim more of what we once took for granted. One thing we definitely learned from COVID is that what we want to happen doesn’t really matter. Best-laid plans are only a blueprint and list of supplies; ultimately we build with what we have on hand. For instance, I worked out an early Christmas celebration with my children before travels take us in our separate directions. “Ideal” timing is less important than the time we’ll have together. So, what of this holiday weekend and the grand plans that suddenly seem imperiled? Rather than worry I will stay tuned to MLive meteorologist Mark Torregrossa’s weather reports, make prudent travel decisions and try to keep a light heart. I wish you all the best this holiday season. Be safe and be happy. 🎧 Prefer to listen to your journalism while cooking or commuting? Try listening to John Hiner's Behind the Headlines podcast each week. Just click here for Spotify or here for Apple podcasts to listen. You can also find Behind the Headlines wherever you get your podcasts!
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John Hiner is the vice president of content for MLive Media Group. If you have questions you’d like him to answer, or topics to explore, share your thoughts at editor@mlive.com. | 