Family Fun Together Apart

One wonderful trend I became aware of over Easter Weekend is how humans everywhere, brilliantly inspired, are taking advantage of the unusual restrictions that prevail right now to invent new ways to have fun together, even when they can’t travel, perhaps as they regularly do—certainly as they might want to do.  

I’ve been treated to Zoom squares showing branches of a far-flung extended family wearing the "Easter bonnets” they had created for an impromptu Zoom contest— “American Gothic” portraits of ordinary looking folks dressed in everyday clothes, posing formally and seriously, standing straight and unsmiling, all of them wearing goofy concoctions atop their heads.  

I’ve seen videos of parallel Easter egg hunts played out hilariously online together with everyone loudly laughing up a storm.  

I’ve enjoyed photos of Easter cupcakes lovingly prepared and decorated by grandkids and left in the driveway to be picked up by Grandma who was dropping off some items  for grandkids in said driveway—an absentee gift exchange. 

I’ve seen video clips of everyone taking turns in a goofy game made up by a family member, 

I’ve seen photo assemblages of visits from family members on previous Easter Sundays.  

And galleries of family members separated by long distances all wearing the family colors or costumes or t shirts.  

The cleverness people have shown to create a sense of loving family fun at a distance has been touching and admirable. 

In all of the online examples, some aspect of the holiday celebration has involved people who love each other and live far apart creating ways to express and enjoy that love in virtual reality—love successfully shared at a distance using electronic communications technology.  

I know with my own siblings, when we thoroughly enjoyed a silly conversation lasting almost two hours during an impromptu Zoom get-together, we realized we could actually share a fun couple of hours with each other easily and often, when always before we had thought a big trip had to be involved before we could get together.  The ease of creating such opportunities was a pleasant surprise, and I suspect we’ll continue to do this frequently in the future.  What a blessing we’ve discovered through adapting creatively to an inconvenient necessity!!  

This has been a beautiful example of the love that many families share, even though they may not see each other often under normal circumstances.  I have certainly appreciated becoming more aware of new possibilities for sharing love.  I’ve also, in general, in many ways during the pandemic, been deeply blessed and reassured when seeing how widespread love is across the world, as people are drawn to help out and make a difference.  It’s beautiful, love expressing in so many ways.  I’m learning to appreciate some of what’s awesome about being human!