Mother’s Day in the COVID-19 Era

Mother’s Day is bound to be a lot different than in past years. There will be less of taking mom out to brunch to celebrate as many restaurants remain closed and at-home events involve 6 feet or more of social distancing. Perhaps mom will be heralded through more cards, flowers, candy, telephone calls, and FaceTiming.

About two years ago my mother, Louise, decided she would much rather FaceTime and actually see me, than just hear a disembodied voice over the phone. At 85 she has embraced the technology that helps keeps us connected, especially during these difficult times. This was the woman who at 78 insisted I learn to text, no matter how reluctant I was.

She was savvy enough to realize that if she wanted to keep in contact with her grandkids, they’d immediately answer her text while ignoring a phone call. Before COVID-19 hit, she was FaceTiming with grandkids away at college in regularly scheduled times to catch up.

With the onset of COVID that comfort of using technology has become more important than ever. Even in good health, being older means she’s more susceptible to contracting the virus. FaceTime and texting allow her to stay in touch (she has 3-4 scheduled FaceTime calls per day – definitely more than me) with family while not risking exposure.

This Mother’s Day as we shelter-in-place across a great many parts of the country, if your mom is comfortable with FaceTime, Zoom, or other technology, take advantage and wish her a Happy Mother’s Day! It’s almost as good as being there in person.