Samantha Mitchell of ABC7 News had a chance to connect with Keith Miller and Dr. Maria Zimmitti to talk about how to approach the holidays in the midst of a pandemic and the current political divisiveness in our country.

Many people are struggling with what to do over the holidays. Should we have gatherings in the midst of this pandemic? Should we postpone them? Some people are already planning “SpringGivings” as an alternative to a family gathering this week.

The other thing that people are really having some apprehension about leading into the holidays is where some conversations may go with family certain family members. The election may be over, but our political divides still run deep.

In the interview, Keith suggested thinking of going into a potentially conflicting situation with someone who thinks differently like going skiing or surfing – if you go with a wave and go the direction, you end up ok.

“Go with the person who’s pushing you, pushing your buttons,” Miller said. “Go with it until you find the opportunity to steer out of it. Stay relaxed – when you’re dealing with a current or undertow – you don’t have a choice sometimes, you react to other humans, we care about how other people feel about us. We sometimes have to go with it, and be empathetic.”

He also said you can “tread water,” and reflect on them, asking them to tell you about the world the person lives in and hurts them. Eventually, they run out of gas and there might be something you can relate to.

“You already have what you need to get through this pandemic,” Miller said. “I don’t think we need anything more, so I would ask people to reflect on what they have and appreciate what they have, at least ten percent more.

You can read the full story and see the video interviews at:

https://wjla.com/news/local/holidays-2020-experts-talk-through-best-ways-families-approach