Two months! Two months since the world changed. Two months?! How is this still happening? How are we all moving into the next chapter, if we never finished the last chapter? Life goes on. The world does keep spinning. It’s somehow different now.
Weddings are different.
I’ve a friend who got married during this. It didn’t go like she had planned before all of this started, but it was beautiful. Facebook Live made it possible for her to “invite” so many more people. I’m sure she would have preferred to have her friends and family there with her, hugging her, loving her, praying over and with her, telling her how she was such a beautiful bride. (And she was y’all…she worked that dress like a runway model.)
Proms are different .
Actor John Krasinski started something called Some Good News (SGN) on social media and hosted a virtual prom. He decorated and through live videos held a prom for the Class of 2020. See it here: SGN Prom Just today, I saw photos from a photo session of a young lady I know. She and a friend did all the things they would have done on a normal prom day: got dressed up, took pictures, danced, made memories.
Photographs of milestone life events are different.
Yes, people are still taking photos. Frankly, lots of photos (for the love stop posting pics of your food)! Some look exactly the same as before the pandemic, but a lot look very different. Take graduation pictures for instance. Caps, gowns, stoles, cords, all the regalia, and masks. I get it…you want to commemorate that life event, as it is. Masks are the new norm, but man does it break my heart to see those pictures. The Class of 2020 got a bum deal. I’ve seen pictures of people holding up tape measures to prove that they were indeed social distancing and keeping 6’ apart. Given the context, I either find it funny, sweet, or heartbreaking. I personally have “social distancing” pictures of my oldest and a buddy. Her friend was sitting inside her living room and my teen was sitting on her porch. I’ve “social distancing” pictures of my youngest with her teachers. It was Teacher Appreciation Week and as a former teacher it’s always important for me to recognize ALL the hard work teachers do. Especially now, my goodness! So…we drove to each of their houses, handed them their gifts (for now, they’ll get more later) and I got pics of my youngest and her teachers 6’ apart. I know, all of us there would have rathered hugging pictures, arms around each other pictures, but alas…The Rona.
Graduations are different.
Once again, SGN held a virtual graduation. He even had a diploma we could print out to hand our graduates. See it here: SGN Graduation There’s another really cool thing happening: Adopt a Senior! Basically, you post about your senior, someone “adopts” them and sends them fun stuff in the mail. We joined a group for our state and my senior got some fun mail. Someone else we know took it upon herself to unofficially adopt her as well and sent her some really cool things. A small way to make up for the lack of a normal senior year. Commencement Exercises are all totally different. Some school districts have opted to delay graduation until later in the summer, some have done Drive-In style graduations, some are doing graduation via Zoom, some are doing a Drive-Through graduation. We’re blessed that our school district has simply postponed it to later in the summer, but how heartbreaking for those who just drive up, get a diploma and move on.
Even death is different.
Just yesterday I read about a family having to say goodbye to the patriarch of their family via FaceTime. How heartbreaking!
Birthdays, anniversaries, Mother’s Day, Easter, all are/were different! Handshakes and hugs are currently non-existent. Will these differences stick around post-pandemic? I, for one, would be ok to not shake hands again, but man…I miss hugging my friends.
That’s my story. What’s yours?
Own Your Story 