The biggest trouble I have with it is living with a split family. I've been away from Belfast for most of the last decade, and now that I'm here for the longest period in years, I have to choose which family to spend my time with exclusively. Petty jealousy layered on top of what are already some deep emotional struggles on different sides of the family make it a pretty painful experience all round. Rational discussions aren't really on the table at this point. I would honestly find it much easier to spend Christmas alone than be forced to deal with the aftermath of those choices.
People talk a lot about how the temporary economic pain doesn't stack up against the tragic human losses, but I do think people underestimate how some of the experiences brought about during the pandemic can create long-lasting damages in personal relationships. It may sound silly that choices during these exceptional moments will be held against each other in the long run, but most grudges are silly, and many deep fissures come from tiny cracks. In situations that were already quite fragile it can be very serious. And while a life lost is clearly more important than a connection lost, I don't think it's dramatic to suggest that there's human tragedy worth recognising in those severed relationships too. Not all of the things that are lost are things that you can make back, and I don't think it's right to say that because we place the highest value on life, we should just disregard the value of all other losses.