A Mother's Day like no other

This article was originally intended to be a part of our Four Seasons of Health and Safety campaign, but in the past few weeks, as we enter the Silent Spring, the world has changed. It was meant to be a post about caring for each other. That has not changed.

This year, due to the novel Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, many mothers and grandmothers are being forced to spend Mother's Day away from their children and grandchildren. A day of togetherness has changed, at the risk of potentially killing our loved ones, to one of social isolation and social distancing.

I echo what many including the Government are saying. If you do not live with your mother or grandmother, do not go and see them. You may be carrying the virus. You may be killing them.

If you love your mother or grandmother, the best present you can give them today is to stay away.

Never ever in peacetime has the health and safety of our nation been so critical.

DO: - phone, Facetime, Zoom chat, Skype etc., your mothers and grandparents throughout the day. Social isolation and social distancing does not mean social depravation.

DO: - if you show no symptoms ask if they need any provisions. If so, get them, while keeping a distance from others, take them, leave on the doorstep, and chat to them through a window.

DO NOT: Visit, chat, eat, drink, socialise in the same building, take them out, hug, kiss, touch them if they do not live with you. You could unwittingly be giving them a death sentence.

We will get through this horrible time. Then will be the time to celebrate our mothers, then will be the time to hug, kiss, and so on.

Our parents have raised us, supported us, educated us, and cared for us. The best way of giving back is to stay away. It's hard, but its the right thing to do.

To mothers and grandmothers everywhere, Happy Mother's Day. Stay strong, stay safe, stay healthy.