When I am asked to describe myself in a few phrases or words, I always include family-oriented. I am lucky enough to have grown up with not only two older brothers and two parents in the same household but also to have extended family less than 10 minutes away. Both of my mom’s sisters and their families, as well as her parents (my grandparents), live in the same town as us. That means quick drop-bys when we are in each other’s neighborhoods, all attending the same high school, and of course, gathering at one of our houses with lots of food with any excuse to celebrate. Ranging from birthdays, holidays, leaving for college, going abroad, or maybe just cause we hadn’t seen each other in a while, my family doesn’t need a major reason to make a quick lasagna, toss a salad, or throw together some cookies and call it a party.
However, when this global pandemic hit, we did not have a back-up plan. For a family that was always looking for an excuse to get together, we were faced with the challenge of finding other ways to stay in each other’s lives — without actually being in the same room.
Nearly one year ago today was my grandfather’s 80th birthday — our first celebration we couldn’t officially have together because of COVID-19. However, we couldn’t let a birthday go by without a proper celebration. So, we all met in the driveway of my grandparent’s house, with masks on and separated by family. We sang “Happy Birthday” and chatted — questioning how much longer this pandemic would go on. The topic of Easter came up — the next holiday in the queue. We optimistically assumed we would be able to gather by then; yet, little did we know, this was the first of many holidays that would be abnormal.
When Easter came along — and we were still bound to our households — we attempted a new way to celebrate. When my cousins and I were little we used to go over to our grandparent’s house on Easter and do an Easter egg hunt in their yard. Although we are older and it’s been a few years since we’d done this, we decided to return the favor. So, the night before Easter, my entire family of cousins, aunts, and uncles met at my grandparent’s house and hid eggs in their yard. Grown adults running through the yard, in the dark, trying not to let the sensor lights go off, and acting like the Easter bunny was definitely a sight. However, when my grandparents were surprised with an Easter egg hunt the next morning, I couldn’t help but notice the huge smiles on their faces — it was all worth it.
As more holidays went by, we’ve had countless Zoom calls, continuously shared photos, and have gone for many outdoor walks, all in an attempt to try to stay in touch. Whether it was eating dessert in my backyard in 30-degree weather, or Thanksgiving turkey trots wearing masks in the rain, we were so desperate to socialize with our family, we were willing to do so in any condition.
A year later, and we are still in the same situation. Like many families, we are tired of staying inside, and yearning for hugs from our loved ones. However, thanks to modern technology, we have found other ways to stay in touch. But as soon as it is safe to do so, we will be gathering in one of our kitchens, with a ton of food and loud voices, making up for all our missed time.