ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Some of your neighbors are doing extraordinary things to bring joy; joy not just for passersby, but for themselves, too.
- Residents put out Christmas decorations to spread joy
- Many people are staying home because of the coronavirus pandemic
Steven Amos, Winter Garden, has a 2-year-old and a 5-month-old. Since we're all stuck at home amidst the COVID-19 orders, "we're scratching our heads for ideas on what to do with [them] all day long," Amos said.
His solution? Unpacking and installing the Christmas inflatables that were - literally - just put back in storage.
"We've been trying to explain over the longest time that Christmas was over, so we're really messing with [our son] right now," he said, laughing.
For the last few weeks, Amos is adding to his backyard decor almost daily.
“We've gotta spread this out because we don't know how long this will last for,” he said.
About five miles away in Horizon West, David Sibila has redecorated his front porch with trees, holiday decor, and a snowman. He calls it an inspirational distraction.
“Helping people to sort of forget about their anxiety, even if it's for a moment,” Sibila said.
The traditional Christmas flowers on his porch are hanging in there. “We're lucky enough that the poinsettias have made it this long so far," he tells us. "It's getting a little hot for them.”
Sure, neighbors are happy. But, Sibila says, "it's also, sort of, self-therapeutic for us.”