Feasts like the traditional turkey dinners feature highly in my framily lives and last year we had a great time with the amazing and scrumtious pot-luck congregational holiday party feast.

…This year will be different… with the Covid 19 Virus eating away from this anticipation, but that must not spoil the importance of celebrating togetherness and giving thanks especially during this challenging holiday season.

I remember gatherings where every so often someone seemed to take a mental break from the celebrations at hand while surfing phone, tablet or computer messages, and remember offensively scalding “social network distancing” for corrupting the “quality time” of the moment. However, now it appears that plugging in is perhaps often the only way how some loved ones can be present when physical “social distancing is called for.

We are in deed fortunate that social networking like Facebook, Email, You Tube and Zoom have matured into powerful tools that allow us to stay home in our protective bubbles while still interacting with people individually and as groups. This has been a special blessing here at the UU Houlton.

I give thanks that we do have the opportunities of physical isolation while reducing the toll of social isolation. I am so grateful to evryone who works together to bring us these great newsletters, You Tube Services, and Sunday morning Zoom meetings.

Much Like the cooking and serving of a fine holiday feast makes for a good time, the writing, recording, publishing and emailing also builds up and nourishes our community in the new reality of Covid 19.

In my mind I call this ” Techgiving’.