Today is 100 days to my first appearance of 2020, and I feel now is the time for decisions. The COVID picture is not improving: the numbers are still high, a vaccine is not going to be available until after Christmas, and I am simply unwilling to be the possible source of spread. I'm afraid I will not be doing any face-to-face visits with children this year. A close family member just tested positive, despite us working so hard to keep ourselves isolated. I kept praying that things would improve but I think it is getting too close to the season to hold off on making a decision any longer. I know some other “face-characters” are doing modified visits: distanced, masked, face-shield, and business-as-usual, etc, but I can't see myself doing any of those. I also can't conscience possibly exposing children or families to risk (including my family). This will be a bitter pill to end this difficult year, and I'll be kicking myself if things take a dramatic turn, but I believe this is the right decision and now is the time to make it. Hopefully it will make 2021 twice as sweet.
I am looking into options for virtual visits, so keep an eye out here for more.