This is only temporary. This too shall pass.

Just think how much more wonderful and cherished their hugs will be when you are finally able to get together safely...hopefully before too long. Enjoy the anticipation.

My Mother (mid 80's) lives 6 hours away from me. Being able to see her even with out the quarantine restrictions is difficult, but with the current circumstances, it's out of the question. It pains me deeply not to be able to see her, hug her and just be able to sit with her. More so, I know it's even harder on her.

She has NO immediate family close to her. But she & my StepFather chose the place where they live now, despite all of us children begging them NOT to move there.

My kids are close, but like yours, they don't want to bring the virus to us. My littles don't understand why they can't hug us when they do get to see us. It's torture for them as well.

I hope this whole thing ends SOON.

Just saw a grandmother on Instagram wearing a hazmat suit. Maybe worth considering ;-)

I do think there needs to be a way for you to see your family. I can understand how you long for them.

No, phoggie, you would NOT rather be dead! Your family is doing what they must to prevent that result from Covid-19. Can you embrace the expressions of love that ARE available?

Our DS and family are able to visit us outdoors in our warmer weather -- with social distancing. It's the ONLY option for the present. There are so many worse scenarios.

Chisue, I misread "social distancing" as "social dancing" and I thought - how fun!

Oh Phoggie. Hang in there. It’s SO difficult! I know. For us, it was Easter, then my birthday. My daughter’s baby shower, her maid of honor’s wedding plans, now my son-in-laws birthday today and Mother’s Day tomorrow. Probably Father’s Day too. All plans out the window.

Please, stay safe and live to enjoy many more safe celebrations in the future.

Try and take some comfort in the reality that we’re all in the same sort of boat. It’s boring, it’s scary, it’s frustrating....it’s depressing sometimes.

Listen to music. Watch a comedy. Call someone you haven’t spoken to in a while. I’ve had the longest phone conversations lately. People finally aren’t rushing off.

Hang in there. Life is still good!

My daughter still comes and sees me but she is working from home and her husband is doing all the shopping outside the home. One grandson is my caregiver once weekly. Other grandson and SIL only visit perhaps once weekly for a few minutes and then at a 20' distance. So far, so good.

Phoggie, please hang in there. I think we've all had a day where we've reached a point we just say 'Enough!' and want things back to normal. It will pass and you'll find yourself on track again. Things are improving, just not as fast as we'd like but we seem to be making progress with our weeks of sacrifice, doing whatever little we can to beat this 'thing'....

Please know that this is as hard for your children as it is for you. They want to be with you, and will be as soon as its reasonably safe. It's just that right now, they can only do the best they can with what we're learning about this virus and its all they know to try to keep you safe. If you're having a bad day, come here. Say so. We get it, and we'll listen. ((((hugs))))

Through these past many weeks we've done some dozens of video calls with people all around the world. And with our grandkids too. We find it very satisfactory. That's the plan for Mothers Day.

Simple equipment works. A tablet, a smartphone, a PC with a built in camera or an attached one. Yeah, I know, external webcams are like yeast these days, the normal stores are sold out if you didn't have one before. But most people have one or more of the alternatives and they work fine with a reasonable connection.

Good luck and Happy Mothers' Day to all. As with any challenge, positive thoughts about what IS possible and can be made to be satisfactory are better than dwelling on what's not possible.

I'm 70 and haven't altered my life during any of this, except for occasionally wearing a dust mask in some stores, where I think it will be too crowded to distance 6 feet. ME GOOD citizen !I still have my just turned 9 and 7 year old grandkids over 5 days a week, even though their Mom is now working from home. We all (including their Dad) had take out dinner tonight to celebrate (early) Mother's Day, because we always do the Mother's Day dinner at a particular restaraunt which is closed. Fairly early into this, when I saw the stats about how low the mortality rate was -- and still is -- I decided to live my life instead of prisoning myself in fear. I'll find out how good my choices have been in the next few months. . . .

I dropped off Mom's card today with the security guard at the gate, and we will Zoom Sunday morning. I haven't been able to visit her for two months, they closed the campus a week before the state did, and I know how careful they are being. We have done one Zoom. Today when we were talking about the Zoom they told her she's see her daughter, and she replied "my bpath? Oh, that will be nice!" She knew my name?!? At least for a moment? That's a gift right there.

My older son lives 30 minutes away. I have seen him twice from the car. As long as we can talk or text, and I still see his debit card usage lol, I know he's safe and I feel better. DS#2 lives here, I'm so glad he is at the local college and wasn't on campus anywhere.

My husband and I will be right here together just like every other day. Both of our mothers have passed away.

HAPPY Mothers Day to all.

Phoggie, I understand your longing. My son and grand baby now live across the country. But in this changing future, I try to be a role model of resilience, that they will hopefully copy, so that they, in turn, will meet what comes their way when inevitably they experience change, and be able to cope.

In my area we are allowed 2 to 6 people outdoors. Still social distancing applies. For the first time since March 4th we will spend time with DD. It will be strange not to hug her but lovely just to spend time.

I feel very fortunate! We are not out of the woods but at least there is some hope.

All the best to everyone here.

It is a very unusual Mother’s Day. My first without my mom, and then not having our usual celebration due to the virus.

So looking forward to my son coming home from college on Friday. Love my hubby but it will be nice to have a 3rd person in the house. Worried for son though, almost no jobs for the new graduates.

Wishing you all the best Mother’s Day possible.

Happy Mother's Day, phoggie. As Queen Elizabeth said in her moving address on the subject of COVID, We will meet again.

" I decided to live my life instead of prisoning myself in fear "

You've imprisoned yourself in something else, and it's the consequences of a lack of simple critical thinking.

We all love you and I see on your new post the kids came over!

"Are you able to be with your family with this stay in place? My heart is breaking because my children are afraid they might bring me this virus. I desperately need my hugs and if I have to continue to live alone in isolation and not be with them, I would rather be dead."

My mother died at the age of 53, when I was 21. I'm now 70 - much older than my mother ever got to be. I'd much rather be limited to just phone calls, 6-foot-away visits, Zoom calls, etc., if it meant that she were still alive.

"I'd much rather be limited to just phone calls, 6-foot-away visits, Zoom calls, etc., if it meant that she were still alive."

Of course, of course, of course.

With that in mind, our kids have told use to stay inside and away from stores, but for exercise, period. We don't accept visitors and don't open the door immediately for deliveries. We get audio and video calls regularly. Who could ask for or expect a greater display of love? Concern for the long term.

(Remember, 6 feet distancing really isn't sufficient)

We had a truly gorgeous day here today. We went for a drive. I wanted crawfish and I was lucky enough to have some today!

Elmer J Fudd My "critical thinking" after reading as much new info I can get about this virus every single day and assessing the mortality rates every single day, I believe this is a serious virus with a low mortality rate. From the most recent stats I could get about FL (10 hrs. ago) the mortality rate here is 0.04. Which is consistent from when we were supposed to shelter in place (and Walmarts, Lowes, etc were packed with few people in masks and little social distancing.) What about your "critical thinking" makes you choose to "imprison" yourself? (My 9 and 7 yr. old Grandkids are gonna be at my house for HOURS tomorrow! Woo Hoo!) Are you immune compromised?

Have a nice day.

My siblings arranged a zoom call with my mom today. I missed it. I was asleep,as I am a night minion and they set it up for 10 am. But I did talk to my mom, and sent her 2 boxes of our favorite harry and david dark chocolate truffles. When I woke up I made a candle and cut some of my lilies for SO to take to his mom,rather begrudgingly, I might add. But it was a nice thought. I am sure she would rather have some money and he will likely be wheedled out of it but whatever. He is a good son. I hope everyone's day was great.

Elmer J Fudd Thank you! I'm gonna have a fun day with my germy young Grandkids! They've been around germy neighbor kids every day all through this. All family parents have been working out in the public all along. We'll probably go to Target because the playgrounds aren't opened yet and the 9 year old misses shopping. We're FREE! in FL! Not that we were ever not. We just did this stuff voluntarily. And we flattened the curve and are now going back to living again.

But aren't beaches closed in Naples again because no one can be bothered to practice social distancing? Good luck with that "living again".

The freedom of fools, too dumb to know better.

I was walking my dog yesterday. Typically in Florida, people wait until the sun gets low because its so hot and the sun blinding. While walking, I pass neighbors and we always chat briefly from a distance. I tell people my dog is not the friendliest and people respect that (not true). Yesterday a neighbor was walking on the opposite side of the street and we chatted briefly while walking. We were talking about how we were dealing with the virus and being isolated and how tired we were of the whole thing. Just chit-chat.

Then she says, I think the whole thing is overblown and you'll never see me wearing a mask, gloves and all the crap. As I kept walking, I said, 'well, I certainly don't want to get it as I'm not a spring chicken.' She said, 'its all overblown and I wouldn't worry about it at all.'

I'm 71 and my guess is she's about the same. We passed her house and I kept walking thinking, what makes her think it's all overblown? I have no idea but at my age, even if I survived, who wants to take the chance? Who wants to be sick for weeks? Not me, not worth it. I don't like being isolated, I don't like the restrictions its put on my life, but l also don't like the idea of catching this virus and its implications. Just not worth it.

Jane