Open Letter: Dear Holiday Shopper

Dear Hudson Valley Holiday Shopper

This year has been a year like no other in our lifetime. Since March we have tried to get back to Pre-COVID times but eventually we realized that might not happen. It was hard to take at first. We all had plans for the Spring and Summer that had to be drastically re-arrange or flat out canceled. 2020 and COVID resulted in me not seeing my sister from New Zealand, I didn't make the summer trek to see my family in Indiana and My husband and I have had to watch the first grandchild grow up on Zoom.

Once fall arrived most of us had settled in on the "new" way of doing things. Everyone six feet apart and always wearing a mask. I have used more hand sanitizer this year then I have in my hole life. I wasn't able to get out quite as much as I would have liked but it was fun to realize that drive in theaters were back and dining out was cool again.  So that brings me to where we are now.

The holidays are setting in and we maybe heading in to a form of hibernation to ride out the next wave of COVID in the Hudson Valley. So here is what I am purposing before things possibly shutdown. Be safe, be smart, don't gather in big groups and always wear your mask but don't let that keep you from your holiday shopping.

I realize some of you will shop online and have things shipped and I understand how convenient that will be because I will be joining you in that task. But please also think of your local small business. Most of them realize that it is going to be a long winter. They have prepared but still hope that this holiday shopping season will be a good one.

Many of local businesses have products online you can order and ship. But do yourself and them a favor, make the effort between now and Christmas to at least try to stop in and shop in person even if it is only for something small. I called it retail therapy and our Hudson Valley small businesses need us to take a session or two.