Yesterday, day 16 of the mandatory quarantine from my work site due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, was the 20th birthday of my son Takeō. He is not a teenager anymore, and yet, stepping into the adult world, especially now, feels like a scary thing.
It was sad that our whole family could not be together for the event. Our older daughter Audrey lives across town, and because we must now practice the social distancing that is required to help our community reduce contagion from the virus, she was not able to join us. But we did talk to Audrey on the phone and Skyped with her also.
So although the circumstances were not ideal, Takeō's dad Jim and I put our best foot forward, so to speak, and honored his special day in the same manner that we always celebrate family birthdays with a homemade dinner and cake. And with his girlfriend Ellie, who lives with us, by his side, his spirit was elevated and the four of us enjoyed the food and conversation.
It was sad that our whole family could not be together for the event. Our older daughter Audrey lives across town, and because we must now practice the social distancing that is required to help our community reduce contagion from the virus, she was not able to join us. But we did talk to Audrey on the phone and Skyped with her also.
So although the circumstances were not ideal, Takeō's dad Jim and I put our best foot forward, so to speak, and honored his special day in the same manner that we always celebrate family birthdays with a homemade dinner and cake. And with his girlfriend Ellie, who lives with us, by his side, his spirit was elevated and the four of us enjoyed the food and conversation.
When it was time to blow out the 20 candles on his cake, Takeo wanted to express how it felt to celebrate a milestone birthday during this difficult time.
Take good care of yourselves and your loved ones.
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