Mothers Day is usually a brunch or dinner. So many of us during the COVID-19 Virus, have had 8 weeks and 2 days with our kids. That's longer than most summer camps! We will never have this "quality time" again in our lives. What did you do with your kids? What will they remember? Are you ready to quit this job? At this point, going stir crazy is an understatement. We are all a pendulum of emotions, busy activities that include overeating, over analyzing...staying home is not easy.
There has been though, this beautiful transition from activity to activity. Lots of cooking, teaching recipes, bonding time in the kitchen, sharing chores- you cook, I'll clean. You shop, I'll disinfect the groceries. It's a process bringing anything in the house!
The masks, gloves, disinfecting, it's all very time consuming. Walking around with a mask is only good because yeah, we are protecting ourselves and others but, we are not showing our full faces which is not exactly how we normally walk around town. There is far less time or none on primping and grooming! Let's just say most of us are not natural beauties!
When my daughter wasn't studying and finishing her senior year at college (on a zoom class) we were "busy".
We tie dyed, played backgammon, did yoga on IG Live- a life saver for my mental health! Thank you Halle Becker & Claudia Jasper. And then, there were exercise videos, Variis by Equinox, 15 minute butt and ab classes that I replaced my happy hour with- a healthy and much needed switch! Organizing closets, cabinets, files, jewelry, looking at old photos, walks in the park with the dog, Netflix and the great COVID-19 escape for us was Canasta Junction. In a million years I never thought I'd see 3 generations of women bonding by a game on an app on my iPad. My Mom had taught us how to play with cards. Now, while she's in Florida and we are in New York, my sister in Bedford, we were able to all play together. When my sister or daughter couldn't play, my mom and I would get some, "randoms" in an open game. I wanted to keep her busy, she lost a close childhood friend to COVID-19 and this was a nice distraction. The randoms would sometimes get nasty or as we say "Canasty" they'd type in "pace please", if my mom was slow with her fingers on the iPad.
Was everything all of a sudden a lesson or was there time to see things more clearly- like wait, that's not a nice way to react. She's 81 years old, but they didn't know that, it's just a game anyway!
What is especially nice and one of the highlights each day is the 7pm cheer for frontliners. Cheering to them in gratitude for their work, dedication and perseverance during this horrific time.
Grateful for my Mom, her patience and the lessons of love. For all the Moms and Mom-like friends, I'm going to get my cheering pot and spoon and yell out the window MOM! Today let's CHEER to MOTHERS everywhere. I know you are losing your patience, I know you need a spa day, and some private time away from everyone. Go in the shower and scream, put on some lipstick and celebrate.
Happy Mother's Day!