It’s Mother’s Day, emotionally loaded as all holidays can be. If your family is not a scene from a Fifties sit-com (and let’s be honest – whose family is?), a holiday honoring mothers can poke a sore spot.
This year, even the happiest of families will be challenged. Mothers and their children will think twice about getting together, as spending a few hours with mom on her special day could also expose her to a deadly virus. It’s hard, but it feels like we’re so close to something resembling a finish line, or at least a break in the stress – it just doesn’t make sense to chance it.
My son, his wife, and their two small daughters will spend the day at home, as they’ve spent every day. He plans to make her a special meal, which is always something to look forward to. Otherwise, it’ll just be another day in lockdown.
I won’t be seeing them, except, perhaps, via video chat. I didn’t see him for his birthday. I wasn’t able to celebrate my younger granddaughter’s birthday with them in person, either. Three strikes.
My daughter and I are planning a social distancing get-together. I haven’t seen her in forever. At least, it’s felt that way. We’re meeting for a hike. We can walk for as long as we can stand, and we can talk. I miss talking with her, without the constraints of a phone or a video. Just a long, leisurely chat.
I’m looking forward to it more than I can tell you. We’ve got our spot picked out, and we’re just hoping that when we arrive the parking lot isn’t full of cars.
The weekend snow may even be to our benefit. Maybe it scared off the crowds.
Read more installments of Village Voices by Susan Barnett.
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