Come in, come in and sit down,
you are a part of the family.
We are lost and we are found,
and we are a part of the family.
Voices United 395
The past three years we were at the home of our older daughter and her husband and children on this Family Day Weekend. They live in the country and have a hill out there back door which is long and steep and amazing for sliding. Their immediate families, and those of friends come together for food, conversation and plenty of play.
The sliding party happened last year and the 30 to 40 people who gathered were blissfully ignorant of what would unfold over the next twelve months. That was the last time our family would be gathered together because of the pandemic, except for one outside, distanced visit. We've enjoyed "bubbling" with one household for a period of time, and sporadic get-togethers, with one family unit or another but it hasn't been what we once took for granted.
Family Day only began as a statutory holiday in 2008 in Ontario, so its not as though it's a longstanding tradition. Yet it has become a welcome reprieve in the depths of Winter and this year many families are adjusting to the restrictions which will make it difficult to do anything exciting or different.
We also know that many families are feeling exhausted and overwhelmed because children have been attending school online. and parents are often attempting to work from home and oversee education at the same time. Many families which are multi-generational under one roof are contending with the reality that some members must go out to work and so put elders at risk of contracting COVID.
Ruth and I yearn to spend in-person, hug-lavish time with our children and grandchildren but aren't doing so for everyone's safety and well-being. But there is a psychological and spiritual toll on all of us. We had an outdoors, distanced walk with one of our families recently and the five-year-old advised us that we had to stay well apart. As we strolled along he reminisced about sleepovers at our place, and wondered if we could all just live together. It was both sweet and heart-breaking that he came back to the topic several times.
I wonder if anyone wrote a prayer which is specifically for Family Day in the midst of a pandemic.
What might we include, knowing that we can't "come in and sit down"? Health and safety in all circumstances would be priorities. Solace for those who are separated from aging loved ones. Hope for an end to the restrictions on travel to be with children and grandchildren. Stamina and resourcefulness for parents who feel they have nothing left to give, and the "fruits of the spirit" when patience runs out. An opportunity to be part of our faith families, in person, once again, with the support they provide.
We can also remember to pray for those dear to us each day, when we are tempted to fret about them, and the future.
I hope that this Family Day is meaningful for you, and that you feel the presence of the God of love.
3 comments:
I miss my family terribly. I can visit the Belleville branch, but I have not seen the GTA gang since last summer, and only once ! At my age, I really want to see them and hug them all as often as possible. This is the most difficult of all family situations I have ever experienced !
With all this togetherness in the pandemic, we need an "anti-family day" so that we can get away from our families for a day!!
I had to smile at the contrast between your two comments.I empathize with you, Judy, experiencing the ache of separation from those who are relatively close at hand yet might as well be on the other side of the world. Roger, we have friends where despite loving family relationships, are feeling a little ragged after nearly a year of close proximity. This too shall pass?
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