At least for me, yesterday’s celebration of Mother’s Day may have shown once and for all, that the old ways are really changed forever.
Unlike past Mother’s day celebrations, this year’s had been quite different, especially for the many who could not be there in person to hug and great their mothers a ‘Happy Mother’s Day. By all indications, the time we are living in now has indeed become divergent, and so veered away and estranged from what can only be aptly described as our extinct reality.
Then there is the case for others like myself, whose moms are sadly no longer with us. The overall celebratory feeling has even become stranger still. Yesterday, I had been in a short conversation with a former tennis buddy whose mother just passed away last week. I had said that, no matter what, he should never forget that our mothers live in our hearts forever.
While that may have come straight from my personal experience, I have nevertheless just realized that during that brief encounter, all my waking days had always been relished with nothing but fond memories of my late mother. So, could it be that because of this, it would also follow that, while everyone with living moms greet theirs fondly every mother’s day, the rest of us could celebrate everyday as mother’s day?
In another light, despite these stranger times dictated by much regulations that pertain to quarantine and social distancing, our innate talent for improvisation or creativity, had truly remained as one shining trait particularly in the people I know. However difficult this imposed separation from loved ones had turned out, it has become reason enough for each one to venture and reach out by whatever means necessary on special days such as this.
For sure, creative ways at showing appreciation, whether long distance or not, may have been present during the good old days of Hallmark cards and yet, the same gestures, because of distancing and lockdowns, are being reborn and applied again today. I know of kids of friends and fam who have gone back to making makeshift greeting cards and token to hand over to their moms, sealed with the tight hugs and kisses, while others far away were just content with greeting them with phone calls, messages,video calls and digital cards online.
A far cry than when we were kids and growing up, when mama would then receive our hand-made cards and bric-a-brac on mother’s day and Valentine’s. She had quite a collection in those days.
Because of this memory, not only have I become a mere witness, but as an avid co-celebrant as well, on this mother’s day though without my mom. Just seeing the adulation given to mothers everywhere is reason enough to co-celebrate.
Knowing this plus seeing their happiness adds to whatever I only imagine as mom’s feelings when we gifted her with our crude cards on mother’s day long ago.
No matter, and I wish this of everyone in the same state as I who have lost a mother or a love one… they really live forever in yours hearts. In fact, they likewise dwell through others that the have, in one way or another, touched with just being here for a while.
