It’s ‘Home Alone, the Pandemic Version’

One Christmas long ago when I was a college student far from my family, I couldn’t afford to fly home. I had a roommate who for different reasons wasn’t going home either, and she and I made plans to go to a Christmas Eve party and on Christmas Day, cross-country ski and make a big dinner. Except my roommate fought with the guy she liked and drank way too much at the party, was sick most of the night and felt too sad and awful even to get out of bed on Christmas. She stayed in her room with the door shut, and I spent Christmas completely and totally alone.

I opened a present my mom had sent and then went for a long, long walk. The day was cold and gray, but in the houses I passed, lights were on and people were celebrating. I stopped and hid behind trees and bushes to watch.