Friends and family find innovative ways to celebrate
● Friends and family find innovative ways to celebrate
From a drive-by baby shower to a birthday parade, friends have not allowed the lockdown to lock them out of special moments — even if celebrating together means a simple wave from a car window.
Perfectly safe and keeping within the social distancing regulations, many found innovative ways not to allow certain milestones to slip through the cracks.
For one expectant mother who thought the joys of having her first child would go uncelebrated, another mundane day in lockdown turned into her most memorable one yet when she was surprised by a convoy of her loved ones in cars, all hooting and waving as they dropped off gifts for mother and baby in a box placed on the pavement.
“It was a total surprise, that’s why I had no makeup on,” Jeffreys Bay mother-to-be Taylor Stephenson joked.
“I really thought I wouldn’t have a baby shower, which kind of upset me since Covid19 has taken a lot of first-time mom moments away from me.”
But Stephenson’s friend, Toni Bridgett, made sure that was not this case.
“Because we had to stick to the social-distancing rule, I had everyone send me their ‘sweet baby predictions’ ahead of time.
“I had them printed and a cake made so that she could go home and open the gifts, read through the predictions and have some cake with her family,” Bridgett said.
“The response was wonderful, baby was so spoilt.
“I think we had 10 cars drive by.
“Just for everyone to be able to wave and see one another was really special too.”
Stephenson, who is due to give birth to her baby girl on July 20, said the highlight of the shower was being able to see her friends and family, even if it was from 2m away.
“Once I saw all the cars, I got super emotional.
“It was just a lovely surprise,” she said.
The Holmes family in Walmer has, meanwhile, celebrated three birthdays in the lockdown.
But mother Linda Holmes was adamant on Friday that her daughter’s fifth birthday would be special, one way or another.
While little Emma may have been under the impression that her birthday party had been cancelled, her mother had gone behind the scenes to ensure it was a birthday she would never forget.
“Emma’s face lit up when her friends — all wearing little masks — waved to her from their mom or dad’s car,” Holmes said.
The vehicles were kitted out with balloons and birthday signs as everyone cheered and hooted.
The next day, Holmes received her own surprise when her friends did something similar to celebrate her birthday.
Mandy Abrahams, who organised the parade along Prospect Road, said everyone deserved to feel special on their birthday.
“The best part of the morning was driving down Linda’s street and seeing the look on her face as she realised ‘I am loved’.”
Abrahams said when she got home she cried a little in her driveway because she loved celebrating family and friends, and Covid-19 had brought about a whole new challenge in doing just that.