Celebrating Special Occasions With Your Family During the Pandemic

As you patiently remain at home to reduce your chances of contracting the coronavirus, you’re missing out on all the wonderful milestones and special occasions with your loved ones. Your grandkids are graduating from school, holidays are zooming by, your adult children might even be getting married, expecting a baby, or celebrating a housewarming. These things are all times to celebrate and be happy, but when you’re unable to attend or get involved it can make you feel a bit sad and lonely. So, how are you celebrating special occasions with your family during the pandemic?

For most senior citizens, your family is what you live for. You enjoy the regular interactions with them, seeing them grow and evolve, and celebrating the best times in their lives. So, being apart from them can become emotionally overwhelming (which isn’t good for your health). Fortunately, there are ways you can connect, celebrate, and be involved with those you love most while remaining safe. Here are some suggestions listed below: 

Tap in Virtually to Special Occasions With Your Family During the Pandemic

Are your grandkids having a graduation ceremony that you can’t make? Perhaps your adult child is hosting a baby shower, housewarming, or family barbecue this summer that you don’t want to miss? Whatever the case may be, you can always tap into the event virtually. With the right video chat application, you can call in, talk to everyone, and even spend a few moments watching the celebration. If the event is being recorded, you can also request to stream it live so you can feel as if you’re right there with everyone. My adult children and I all get on Zoom every other Sunday to talk about what’s going on in each other’s lives. It is so much fun! It’s almost like being together in real life. 

Send Gifts

You may not be able to head to a nearby store and go shopping for gifts for your loved ones, but that doesn’t mean you can’t let them know you care. Instead of risking your health during the pandemic, pull up a chair, and go shopping online. You can find everything your family may need or want on the internet. 

Is your daughter having a baby shower? You can go online and find her everything from baby clothes and blankets to breast pumps and nipple cream and have them delivered to your daughter’s home. Want to let your grandkids know you’re proud of them for finishing out the school year? You can send them digital gift cards or browse the inventory at your favorite stores and send them a personal gift. Maybe the family is having a barbecue in the near future? You can pay for a nearby restaurant to drop off anything from chicken and pasta to cold cuts and beverages to pitch in on the food for the family. 

Host Small Yet Safe Functions

You may not be able to attend a graduation ceremony, baby shower, or family barbecue if there are too many people around, but, if you really want to celebrate with your loved ones, you can host something small and safe at your place. Inviting fewer than 10 people to your home, you can have a barbecue, a family dinner, or a small party of your own. Try to host the event in your backyard as it is a lot safer than being in a closed-in space like your home, keep the guest list small, and ensure that everyone is wearing personal protection equipment like face masks and gloves (especially when handling food) to reduce the spread of the virus. It may even be ideal to check everyone’s temperature prior to having them enter your place just to be on the safe side.

My four adult children talked amongst themselves, and came up with a plan for Mother’s Day. The three girls all sent money to my son via Paypal so that he could pick up a dozen roses, two pounds of crab legs, a box of my favorite snack cakes, and a card from all of them. My son and I had a nice dinner for two, then we got on Zoom with the girls so I could tell them how special it made me feel for them to plan this Mother’s Day Celebration for me. 

Though there has been no treatment or vaccine yet created for the coronavirus, in many states, the number of new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths has slowed dramatically encouraging government officials to reopen states and gradually return to normal. Of course, that’s great news, but for those who are considered high-risk, remaining in the safety of your home just a bit longer is strongly advised. While this means missing out on family celebrations and milestones, the good news is you can still keep in touch, remain connected, and celebrate special occasions with your family during the pandemic.