Yesterday the youngest resident in our building celebrated her birthday. She turned five. The only reason we knew this was because her dad or grandmother posted a sign down in the lobby. They asked residents to come out onto their decks at noon to watch as firetrucks came by to mark the occasion....and they provided helium balloons for people to hold. So I grabbed a red balloon and Dave and I went out onto the deck. It was pretty cold and windy, but our little neighbor and her dad and grandmother were bundled up and using sidewalk chalk to decorate for the "party". We waved and grabbed Fenway so that the three of us could sing happy birthday to her. (Fenway does a great job with that song!) We couldn't see the decks on the front side of the building....but could hear other neighbors calling out birthday wishes and the little girl was waving up to all of us and seemed happy and surprised. And then the firetrucks went by....honking their horns. They formed a noisy parade of at least three trucks an ambulance and maybe two other emergency vehicles.
The cold drove us back inside and I've been thinking about her birthday ever since, and remembering the birthdays we celebrated with our two when they were about the same age. The parties included some friends, ice cream and a cake with candles, presents to open and a few games. They were, for the time, pretty typical and fun events.
So I hope that our little neighbor had a good day....and that, if she even remembers it in years to come, she will think of her birthday in the time of COVID-19 as memorable. Maybe for not all the right reasons.....but for the neighbors who showed up to wish her well.
Celebrations in the time of COVID....again a whole new normal.
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