For the last couple of weeks I’ve added a new activity to my daily routine. I call my Mom in the city every afternoon. Before these pandemic times I might call every couple of weeks, but as the seriousness of this situation became more clear, I realized that my aging mother was probably feeling lonely by self-isolating (not because of any contact with someone, but simply because of her age). I know she looks forward to our daily phone calls and when all this pandemic craziness is over I’ll probably continue to call her everyday.
My sister, who lives a good distance away from Mom as well, took it to the next level the other day. Because some items are sold out at grocery stores in the city, but were still available in her rural area stores, she made a trip into the city to see Mom. She put the items on the doorstep and Mom stepped outside to have a nice conversation in the driveway in the bright sunshine. They couldn’t hug even though they wanted to, but I know it meant a lot to Mom.
Let’s make it a point to reach out to the elderly – our relatives and our neighbours in our communities. Just a quick call and perhaps find out if they need anything that we can pick up on a trip to the grocery store.
Small things like this can make a huge difference in someone’s life.
I’d love to hear more suggestions on some small things we can do to make a difference while still protecting everyone’s health.
