It all began with a teddy bear my older daughter brought me during an especially difficult time. I loved it. It was white and had a beautiful ribbon around its neck and tiny flecks of silver sprinkled throughout its fur. Just like a child, I carried it with me upstairs at night when I slept and downstairs in the morning when I settled in for the day.
The teddy bear was especially helpful to me when the pandemic occurred for, though I could not see my daughter, I could hug the beautiful present she gave me.
I settled into a routine keeping my beautiful white bear close at hand. A few weeks passed by and I found Mother’s Day soon approaching. We were all still in our shelter-in-place mode which meant I would not be experiencing our usual family gathering.
Inspired by the teddy bear, I thought of a wonderful plan to help me feel close to my family. I made a request for Mother’s Day: a stuffed animal from each family member that represented their energy. If I couldn’t have my family close to me, I reasoned, I could perhaps have their delightful stand-ins.
When Mother’s Day arrived, family members gathered on our driveway in collapsible chairs they brought with them, distancing themselves six feet away from me and bringing along a stuffed animal they had all selected which represented their energy. The animals were all packed into a gift bag ceremoniously presented to me. I took great delight in holding up each animal one at a time and trying to guess who it was from.
I also had with me a package containing two stuffed animals sent from my second daughter and her husband who live in Lincoln, Nebraska. My grandson volunteered to access them on FaceTime and they quickly became a part of the festivities.
You’re probably wondering what kind of presents I received that day. Here are the very special Mother’s Day animals making their appearance to celebrate the occasion: an owl, a penguin, a chicken, a black bear, an otter and a honey badger.
You may be thinking that if these animals represent the energy of my family, this could be quite a motley crew. And you would be right. How fortunate I am to be surrounded by family members who are full of authentic energy, mischief, affection and are out-of-the box thinkers!
This event turned out to be one of my most memorable Mother’s Day celebrations. And it occurred during the pandemic lockdown.
Our beautiful celebration was not impeded by the regulations imposed upon all of us. In fact, we had all been inspired to think in new, creative ways.
And this is one of the hallmarks of our family. Embracing what is and creating within those parameters.
I have seen a lot of evidence in the last couple of months of individuals using their creativity to not only survive this time in our history but to thrive. To open their hearts to deal with circumstances they might never have been able to imagine. To bring to those circumstances gifts of love and caring affectionately wrapped in whatever their imaginations could create.
What profound evidence of the human spirit and its desire to expand the corridors of the heart!
Perhaps this is the “new normal” we’ve been musing about. And perhaps this “new normal”, this exercise of our positive outlook
and unbridled imagination, can help us think beyond the borders of the past and, instead, inspire us to enter into the creating of a world that is truly sourced in LOVE. For everyone.
Marie Helena
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