It’s a new way of getting together that we explored on Easter Sunday for a family dinner tryout: there we were, on the same screen but in distant areas of the county. We toasted for good cheer and health; some of us grew tired from the strangeness of the circumstance. The lack of sensorial connections wasn’t limited to lacking physical contact but the absence of smell, the abundance of olfactory that’s usually associated with a group gathering: cooking, perfume, wine, hors d’oeuvres, the hair products or creams folks wear. Plus, the noise: the rustling of cushions, the different steps, direct laughter has a texture unfelt when viewed on-screen.

And yet, at a time of social distancing, it’s a viable way to keep connected, to feel the nearness of those we love and sorely miss.

To share a smile, even if less convincing, it’s the smile of a child or parent, that of a sibling, relative, or close friend. It allows us to connect and remember a touch, a hug, a kiss we shared. It’s a bridge to sanity in a time of added stress. Whether it’s FaceTime, Zoom, or Houseparty, to name a few virtual connections, looking at a familiar face gives us an emotional boost.

And so, after our Easter Sunday experiment, tonight we will attempt at gathering virtually with loved ones from different parts of the country. We’ll get together to toast my daughter’s birthday. She and I FaceTimed in the morning: coffee in hand, and somewhat groggy from sleep.

But tonight we’ll sing happy birthday and toast for great things to come. We’ll express appreciation for continued health and calm, for the end of this particular time, for the days when we can hold each other tight again. And that’s quite a lot for us to cheer.

Therefore, in this time of angst, as we celebrate your birthday virtually, my darling girl!

Here is my wish:

May nature soothe you in its embrace regardless of the season. May the light shine in you, may the Sun fill you with its energy; and the Moon, may she quietly safeguard your sleep each night.