Celebrating Mom in Quarantine

05.08.20
Celebrating Mom in Quarantine (Daisy Okazaki with her mother. )

During this confusing time, caring for the people you love is even more important. Even so, without the usual reminder from my friends and the pastel-colored displays of Hallmark cards that pop up in every store, Mother’s Day snuck up on me. With restaurants, shops, beaches and parks all shut down, I scrambled for new ways to celebrate my mom from home. So this year, instead of buying flowers and taking her to a restaurant, my dad and I plan on picking some lilies and ferns from our yard and cooking my mom a special dinner of her favorite foods. 

I’m not alone. A quarantine-style Mother’s Day is the only option this year for many of us.

Here is how some of my friends are getting creative this coming Sunday.


Left to right: Adan Barrera, Mom, dad, and siblings.

Adan Barrera

“Even on a regular Mother’s Day, I find it hard to come up with something worthy of showing my mom just how much I appreciate her for all the love she’s shown me and my sisters. I find this Mother’s Day is a perfect time to locate a private area somewhere in the mountains and have a nice picnic where my family of six can enjoy some fine cooking and a beautiful view. Hopefully, she’ll enjoy it!”



Teo Tezcan with his mother.

Teo Tezcan

“This Mother’s Day, I picked out a nice mug for my mom that said ‘Mother’s Day 2020 the one we were in quarantine.’ My brother makes really good scrambled eggs, so he’s planning to make those for her breakfast, and we might make lemon bars together for her too. My mom provides and cares for me and my whole family. She’s always looking out for us, and we try to look out for her too.”



Lucy Barnum with her mother and two dogs.

Lucy Barnum

“This year, we’re celebrating Mother’s Day by making a (surprise) breakfast for my mom. I’ll make pancakes and fruit salad and my dad will try to get flowers to decorate. If we can’t find any open florists, we decided to go up to Tilden Park to pick some. It’s simple, but we don’t have much of an option — I know she’ll appreciate the effort we put in, even if our celebration isn’t elaborate. We’re also making sure to send cards and flowers to my grandmothers, as both of them are in social isolation and will miss spending time with their families on Mother’s Day.”


Etta Washburn with her mother.

Etta Washburn

“Even though we’re on lockdown, my family is looking forward to celebrating Mother’s Day by spending time together. We’re planning on making her pancakes in bed and then going for a long walk around our neighborhood.”

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