By Shaghayegh Gh

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When you pictured Mother’s Day this year, did you imagine being holed up in the house and almost burning the nice meal you attempted to make for Mom? Neither did I. Although Mother’s Day has proven to be a sweet celebration every year, it’s no doubt that this year is a bit greyer as coronavirus looms over us and threatens any fun activities we want to partake in.However, most people have been innovative with what they want to do for mom’s special day: after all, it’s only once a year. We will talk about some creative ways you can celebrate Mother’s Day WHILE social distancing, because hey: Mom deserves it. This article is dedicated to all mothers: mothers who have lost children, mothers who had to play the role of both parents, mothers who have adopted or fostered, and mothers who are essential workers and cannot spend the day with anyone. We appreciate you and we wish you all a lovely day.

I understand – you were planning a beautiful flower basket, a nice bottle of wine, and a great brunch with mom. And that has flown out the window. It sucks, and I’m sorry it has happened. Coronavirus has impacted all our lives, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the end of the world. Most of us may not be able to see our moms today as we need to maintain social distancing – as we should, good on you for keeping your parents safe! – however, technology saves the day. Video chatting apps such as Skype, FaceTime, and Zoom can all be used to video call your mom, with the latter able to accommodate a large number of people, which is suitable if you have a big family or just want to call up all the moms for a little happy hour.

If you still want to gift your mom something special, you can send her a gift from an online shop to be delivered straight to her house, or if you’re concerned about essential workers (which, we totally understand), there are websites that allow you to make E-Cards for your mom, helping her know you’re thinking of her on this special day. Some gift ideas you can order online include a makeup set (a la Kim K), a bath set, or maybe a gift card of her favourite place to shop or eat. If you’re lucky enough to be living with mom, you have more options! You can still get her a bottle of wine from the grocery store (please wear a mask, yeah?) and you can try and make her your own brunch. Online recipes are very merciful even for the novices of cooks and vegan and gluten-free options are often available. You can even have a Netflix marathon – chick-flicks like Mama Mia and Sex and The City are worth a re-run! As for all essential workers, all nurses, doctors, receptionists, minimum wage workers and janitors who are still working on this day, we salute you. Thank you for all your hard work, and we wish you a blessed Mother’s Day from far.

Last but not least, in this pandemic it’s important to remember one thing: the best gift you can give is time. We are always so caught up in our busy schedules, we often forget what’s important to us and what we need the most. The world has completely stopped its rotation, most of us have time now and we can catch up with our loved ones. It can be scary, not knowing what will happen next, but for those of us who are blessed to have our loved ones surrounding us, it may help to be grateful for a life that’s still good. So, for this year’s Mother’s Day, maybe mom doesn’t want a fancy flower basket or an expensive bottle of Merlot. Maybe she doesn’t really need that Macy’s gift card or a makeup set (sorry Kim). Maybe this year, all she wants to do is to pick up the phone and hear, ‘Hey mom, I love you.’

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