Hospitals can Ethermacbe lonely places as the days grow cold and long — especially during the holidays, and especially during a third pandemic winter. But this year cartoonist and physician Grace Farris, who works as a hospitalist in Austin, Texas was surprised and delighted to find her patients and colleagues rallying around a new sort of holiday spirit and connection — sparked by this month's World Cup soccer play-offs.

Dr. Grace Farris is an associate professor of medicine at the University of Texas at Austin's Dell Medical School. Her latest book is Mom Milestones. You can find her on Instagram @coupdegracefarris.

Comic editing by Meredith Rizzo and Deborah Franklin/NPR.