We are thankful for FaceTime.....during a pandemic we can still “see” our family

We have cancelled nine visits with our family since March due to the pandemic.  This makes us sad.  We miss them so very much.  

It is especially heartbreaking because every one of those visits with family included our grandchildren.  And they are all getting older.  Marina, Stella, Soren, Adam, and Ian range from 12 to 16 years old.  We have no idea how they got so old!

They are moving from the stage of  “grandparents are so much fun” to “we love our grandparents, but my friends are so much fun.”  Sebastian, who is only nine years old, still thinks we are adorable, cuddly, and funny.  He even laughs at our dumb jokes.

It is hard for us is to not see and hold our two baby granddaughters, Aryana who is now 10 months old and Hannah who is six months.  We have missed the baby stage and they will soon be toddlers. 

We know that we are not alone.  Everyone in the world is missing their children, grandchildren, friends, and just the “old normal.”  And their are so many that are frantic to find a way to feed and shelter themselves and those they love.  On top of that, there are millions of people who are sick, ill, and dying.

We don’t feel sorry for ourselves.  We feel very fortunate in so many ways.  We just miss watching our grandchildren grow and mature.  We miss talking and laughing with them and reaching out to touch them,.  We miss giving them a hug or a cuddle.

But we are thankful for FaceTime and Google Duo.  We can still see and talk with our family.   We give our granddaughters and grandsons virtual hugs and throw them kisses.  They call us and read their poems, play their musical instruments, show us their artwork, talk to us about books they’ve read, and keep us updated on their daily life.  

On a recent call from Soren we captured the “many faces of Soren:”

We hear how our grandchildren want to see their friends and want to go to school, but don’t want to wear a face mask at school, while at the same time they are fearful about getting the Coronavirus.  What a lot for these children and their parents to deal with.  Our hearts go out to them.

We love and admire all of these children and their parents so very much.