First Baptist Church of Herndon

Garden Party Embraced

Linda Soller | Sep 28, 2020

For as long as I can remember my vision of a garden party involved a lot of white linens or furniture, flowers, fancy food, and maybe the game of croquet. I guess you could say my vision came from literary sources. Even when my family would grill our food, the party most often moved inside. The fact that I am a mosquito magnet may have something to do with my lack of enthusiasm for lingering while eating in the great outdoors. Did I mention I own a lot of bug repellant?   

The pandemic has changed many things. We have given up some things and been forced to embrace others. My family is embracing the garden party. None of us want to deny anyone a birthday party, and this is a busy birthday celebration time for us. The July birthday was like my vision with our big hats and fancy clothes. Christina turned two. The next was less formal, a lot chillier, and a kids’ game free for all in the side yard. My husband blew out his candles with style. A dinosaur adventure is next for James who will also be two, followed by a camping theme hopefully complete with s’mores for Alex age four. We have yet another the next week, theme to be decided and age not to be disclosed. I may need to invest in more bug repellant!

What I am trying to say is we all miss something about our pre-pandemic lives, but if we think about it, we have gained new coping skills. Our family is more relaxed at our outdoor gatherings, we are safely distanced and not touching so many things, and well, we are getting fresh air. I have also seen different interactions among family members as we find our new locations and patterns. No one goes directly to their favorite chair, the TV is not running the whole time, and the house doesn’t have to be cleaned just so we can get it dirty again. Yes, the more I think about it our family is having a good time. A better time in many ways. Maybe you should consider embracing the garden party if you haven’t already. It could be good for your soul. Don’t forget the bug repellant!

Have a great week! :o) Linda