It’s come to this: Instastories will be a big part of my Thanksgiving holiday this year.

It will be my first-ever Turkey Day without my family. Suzi and I won’t be able to hug our children and grandchildren or see our larger family and friends, but I still want to be part of the day’s celebrations. Instagram will provide a glimpse of our loved ones celebrating, and I’ll be online watching.

I may be far from the Insta generation, but I’ve found IG a useful tool. I could log in to catch bits of rock shows that people had recorded. This saved me from having to navigate sweaty, beer-stained clubs and stand through sets by acts that piqued my curiosity.

I learned who was in L.A., who was in New York and how big the crowds were. I discovered and did deeper dives on acts of particular interest, and I could tell which HITS staffers were likely to be a little green around the gills the next day.

Instastories are also a tremendous source of information. This week, I gleaned from Chartdata that “Mr. Brightside,” by The Killers, had reached 1 billion streams. It kicked in a memory I had of hearing their initial, three-song demo and becoming an instant fan. I wanted to sign them, but Rob Stevenson was way ahead of me.

From old friend and super-barrister Gary Stiffelman, I learned that mega-influencer Charli D’Amelio had reached 100 million followers. Impressive.

And from Barry Weiss, Ron Perry, Peter Gray, Jim Burruss, Jen Mallory and most everyone associated with Columbia and RECORDS, I found out that 24kGoldn’s “Mood” was the most-played song in a week ever, with over 20k spins. I liked their performance on the AMA show, and the song really works on all levels. It makes me smile.

Despite the risks associated with gathering this year, I know some of the people I follow will assemble in slightly larger, safely organized groups and will be posting about their meals—and the thanks we all need to express for what we have, even in these difficult times. And especially for the renewed optimism that our President-elect and his experienced, qualified team bring us for the future.

This year’s Thanksgiving should be about making sure we’re alive and healthy for next year’s gatherings—celebrations I always took for granted but now seem more precious than ever.

Once we’ve made it through the storm, life’s smallest joys will be that much sweeter. Maybe I’ll even meet you at a club show.

Image by Karolina Grabowska