Mother's Day 2020...
Happy Mother’s Day, everyone! I decided to pen this last minute, unplanned Mother’s Day blog post to capture the myriad of emotions that I am experiencing on this monumental holiday during such unprecedented times, as the Coronavirus pandemic.
I woke up with a grateful heart, but recognize that this day is hard (for the lack of a better word) for many including myself; some for new, novel reasons. I have been fortunate enough to celebrate Mother’s Day with my mom and family for the past 30 plus years. Some years called for a lavish celebration while others were celebrated more intimately; but nonetheless a celebration ensued. However, this year, due to COVID19, many of us are unable to celebrate with our mothers and mother-figures because we may live in different cities and are social distancing out of our love and desire to keep one another safe and healthy.
I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to hug my mom more than I do today, but I am trying to remain grateful that we are both well and blessed with the gift of life. My heart goes out to those that have lost their mothers and don’t have the next celebration to look forward to. When quarantine ends, they will still be faced with the unfortunate sting that their mothers are no longer here to offer a warm embrace and assure them that everything will be okay. I also think of those that may not have the ideal relationships with their mothers and the thought of Mother’s Day brings them a sense of pain and ill memories. Or those women that long to be mothers, but for whatever reasons that has not come to pass. I feel you and I see you stronger than ever before because of this nasty virus that has granted me more time to be and to reflect.
Though this Mother’s Day may not be the epitome of the celebrations that we have imagined, I challenge you to make the best out of it, especially if today presents newfound emotions. I have some ideas on how to make today the best socially distant Mother’s Day possible.
Thank God for modern technology! Schedule a virtual Mother’s Day get together with your favorite cocktail or mocktail for the non-drinking Moms… Moms and Mimosas… Martinis and Moms. My friends and family have used the Houseparty app which allows us to connect, invite others and play games. ZOOM and FaceTime also do the trick of helping you feel connected to your loved ones though distance may separate you, at this time.
Do Whatever you want to do! It’s your day! Listen, it is currently 1:00pm in the afternoon and I am still in my bed. I plan to chill and possibly get dressed later. We will see what the day may bring, but I plan to go with the flow. Enjoy my time and enjoy my family.
Soak up a few moments of gratitude. Everyone has different pills to swallow, but nonetheless the burdens that we may carry are designed specifically for us and will never be more than we can bear. As cliche as it sounds, this is a very true statement. We have been granted an immeasurable gift of time to reminisce on the good times and good memories. Going through old photos is one of my favorite past times. Please believe I will be doing plenty of that today. Enjoy the things that bring you comfort today and going forward.
I recently got the idea of developing a coping basket from a friend on social media. Fill a basket, bag or bin with some of your favorite things when you are feeling down, anxious or in the need of a pick me up. Fill it with your fave scents, books, hobbies, colors, photos and so on that bring you to a centered place. I think I will use a portion of today to fill my basket. I hope that you take the time to fill yours as well. Happy Mother’s Day! Enjoy!