If not for Covid, my sisters and I would gather at Mom’s for the weekend at our annual Mom’s Birthday Bash. Most of us live in separate states, so it’s usually a great ladies’ weekend: meals out, a theatre performance, Netflix with popcorn and ice cream, and in years past spa treatments. Shucks! On Sunday she turns 90, so it’s a biggy. We decided to invite extended family and friends to our daily Zoom call for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday this week. Today some of us made cake and blew out candles in her honor. We told stories about Mom and showed a few pictures old and new. This afternoon she rode her scooter to visit a friend who lives in her complex. He was born on the same day in the same year and just lost his wife. In the older picture, Mom is the one on the far right; she’s with her sisters and mother.

Stories about Mom: She’s remembered as the ultimate multi-tasker and always happy; camping with our cousins as kids; my brother taking Mom to a maritime museum in Connecticut where, unbeknownst to them, was a retire Navy ship in port that Mom’s dad had sailed on when he was in the Navy. Mom’s little sister remembers when she and Mom became friends as well as sisters the summer Mom came home from college and spent time with baby sis. They went to concerts at the Hollywood Bowl but sat outside the fence and listened because they didn’t have tickets.

Sharing this with Mom was the highlight of my day, although I wish like hell we could all be there in person. Blast you, Covid! Looking forward to more family and friend celebrations for Day 2 of Jane Turns 90.