Among family and friends, I have heard many lament the loss of annual traditions, once-in-a-lifetime celebrations and a bevy of rites of passage.
Having seniors in high school and college, we are feeling a certain heaviness knowing that we won’t be able to enjoy important rituals like football, homecoming, prom, and parent weekends, which are just a few affecting our family, to say nothing of a sweet 16 birthday on our horizon and Thanksgiving, and . . . so on.
And yet, I have marveled at the ingenuity of so many who have found ways to create new and meaningful personal connections as well as preserve, to some extent, if not improve, these rites for which we so pine. I just learned of a large family who each will cook their own “pod” Thanksgiving dinner then gather, socially distanced in a hall, celebrate mass, and spread out in the room for dessert to watch family movies. Brilliant! Thanksgiving, maybe made better!
It has gotten our team at Corporate Travel to think of the ways in which we might be such a solution to some of that which virtually every American is longing. Naturally, our thoughts initially pursued the virtual route, which has mercifully connected people, at least visually through the darkest days of lockdown. However, we realized that, fundamentally, we are not a technology company. We are about creating experiences through personal connections. Thinking, praying and meeting as a tea