How COVID Killed Christmas

Last year, the COVID-19 pandemic killed my Christmas, and Christmas for many other Americans…

Americans who, after months of isolation, were dying for a little normalcy… a little human contact.

In my case, the holiday season last year was hands down the worst I’ve ever experienced. You see, my family and I are close  — very close. The holidays are always special, filled with great memories of our traditional poker game on Thanksgiving and watching the New York Knicks on Christmas Day with my dad. I can’t emphasize how important these moments are to me. And now that my parents are getting up there in years and we all live hundreds of miles away from each other, these moments have become even more special. 

And aside from picking great stocks for you, another life goal of mine is to have as many of these great moments as I can before it’s too late.

That’s why, when Christmas got canceled for me last year, I was pretty devastated. 

We made it through Thanksgiving without giving in to panic, and while instead of the big extended family gathering it was only my most immediate relatives, we all had a wonderful time. But somehow, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, misinformation and panic took hold, driving a huge rift in my family that would take months to overcome.

Now, don’t get me wrong — I’m no crackpot COVID denier. I respect science and pride myself on being able to identify good science because I know scientific methodology like the back of my hand. 

As we came out of the Thanksgiving holiday last year, our family planned to meet at my parents’ house on Hilton Head Island to celebrate. My sister, her husband, and I all agreed to get tested before coming down. We socially distanced ourselves and took every other CDC recommendation for holiday travel. In short, we followed these requests to a T.

I mean, there was no way I was missing duck a l’Orange and time with my family (not to mention all the fishing and golf a man could want)!

COVID Irrationality — Almost as Severe as COVID?

Little did I know that while I was planning my trip down to the island, COVID irrationality had infiltrated my parents’ home and even my sister Erin’s household. 

About a week before Christmas, right about when the excitement of heading down for a week of fun and family peaked, I got a phone call from my mother.

“Your father and I don’t feel comfortable having you down, with things the way they are.”

I was confused. Had something changed? I told her that I had followed all the requested protocols to make this trip happen — you know, so that I might have a Christmas. 

I tried to be understanding, despite the disappointment.

“I understand, kind of,” I said. “At least I can still celebrate with Erin and her family.”

My mother then informed me that my sister and her family were still making the trip down. This is where I kind of lost it…

“How does that make any sense?” I asked. “Especially when we have followed the exact same protocols. We’re all getting tested right before we leave, we’re all being extra careful, etc.!”

Apparently, the difference in their eyes was the time I had spent with my girlfriend, who ironically was a medical professional and more cautious about COVID than any of my family. But I digress. No problem. I could win them over with logic.

I said, “But Mom, you realize that Erin going to Walmart or Dad playing golf or you going to the supermarket (which they all actually did the week before Christmas) was no different then me watching a movie at my girlfriend’s apartment. It’s all the same risk (or lack thereof) at that point.”

Of course, that logic failed to persuade them to let me come to Christmas. I was the black sheep for not giving in to COVID irrationality. I was hurt. I felt like a leper. And I was furious. It caused a huge fight. Things were said on both ends that took a lot of time to get over and forgive. 

Thankfully, we love each other and things are much different today. But who knows if and when COVID might rear its ugly head again? Do I, like so many others, want to go through an experience like that again? Heck no! But the amazing thing is we may not have to…

Because one company my colleague Keith Kohl recently made me aware of is rewriting the way we fight COVID with impressive results.

This COVID Killer Is a Game-Changer

This might be the biggest medical breakthrough we’ve ever seen.

One small company has just produced a nasal spray with the power to stop COVID-19 symptoms in seven days!

That’s right, in just one week!

In fact, many experts believe this new COVID therapy could even be better than Moderna’s, Pfizer’s, and Johnson & Johnson’s vaccines.

This is welcome news to me and the millions of other Americans who were left out in the cold last Christmas. Thanks to this revolutionary breakthrough, we might never have to worry about missing a special moment again. Because, after all, we only get so many of them before it’s too late.

With this COVID killer on deck, true normalcy could be back shortly and we could live life again like we’re supposed to!

And did I mention the company behind this medical breakthrough that could be more important than the vaccine is a publicly traded company? Cha-ching!

Have a great weekend.

To your wealth,

Sean McCloskey
Editor, Energy and Capital

@TheRL_McCloskey on Twitter

After spending 10 years in the consumer tech reporting and educational publishing industries, Sean has since redevoted himself to one of his original passions: identifying and cashing in on the most lucrative opportunities the market has to offer. As the former managing editor of multiple investment newsletters, he's covered virtually every sector of the market, ranging from energy and tech to gold and cannabis. Over the years, Sean has offered his followers the chance to score numerous triple-digit gains, and today he continues his mission to deliver followers the best chance to score big wins on Wall Street and beyond as an editor for Energy and Capital.