By: Elizabeth Koblenz, LMSW

Many of us enjoy getting together with friends and family to celebrate loved ones and joyous occasions. Getting together and celebrating is a way for us to connect with our family and friends, strengthen our existing relationships and make everlasting memories. Since the pandemic, we have had to change the way we celebrate one another but have found that there are safe ways to celebrate and be there for big life events. It is important to celebrate graduations, birthdays, births, weddings and everything in between to recognize and praise each stage of life that we go through with our family and friends. Here are some ways to celebrate with family and friends during the pandemic:

Zoom:

I think we can all agree that Zoom has become our best friend. We use Zoom to conduct meetings for work, study with classmates, attend school and even attend big life events like weddings! Using Zoom is a great way to get together with family and friends and catch up with one another. If a family member lives far away and is unable to be at your event, Zoom is a great way for them to feel as if they are there to be apart of your special occasion. Tip: If you are celebrating your birthday with family in person and are limited on a certain amount of people that you can safely invite, send your friends a zoom link, have birthday cake and blow out the candles with them! Remember there is no real limit of how many people can join the Zoom – the more, the merrier! 

Live Stream:

Special occasions, such as weddings, can still be as intimate and beautiful even if they are a bit smaller due to CDC guidelines. It may be hard to picture your “dream wedding” being different than how you would expect it to be. Maybe you are having just your immediate family or maybe you are having 150 people that the CDC allows. You can use the opportunity to create a live stream, which means the videographer is recording the ceremony and viewers are able to watch it in real-time. Live streaming an event is a great way to have your loved ones see the ceremony and be apart of your special day, without actually being there. Having the ceremony outside is also a great alternative that allows for people to be able to gather and socially distance to celebrate your special day.

Drive By:

If it is accessible, find a time to do a “drive-by” of the person, or people, that you want to celebrate. This is a fun and easy way to show your support during a celebration that you may not have otherwise been able to be apart of. Make fun signs, bring fun noise makers, or even honk your horn! Showing your support by driving by someone’s home is a great way to stay covid-safe and be able to celebrate. 

Sending a Care Package:

Writing letters and sending thoughtful gifts in the mail is a sweet and old-school way to show your love and support for someone. We can still be a part of our friends and family’s milestones by sending them a thoughtful care package or letter. Did your friend just have a baby? Send a handwritten note and a cute gift. Is your family member graduating? Send or drop off a yummy dessert that they would enjoy. There are many ways we can be creative in order to celebrate the ones we love!  

Although the pandemic threw us a curveball, we do not have to take away celebrating milestones and supporting one another during this time. Having things to look forward to and occasions to celebrate can help ease some of the difficult parts of the pandemic.

If you are interested in learning more about finding ways to celebrate your big occasions while facing obstacles of the pandemic, are looking for guidance on how to overcome some of the emotions associated with cancelled events, or want to hear more about working with Elizabeth, please reach out to hello@upsidertherapy.com today!