Video chatting has suddenly become a fixture in many of our lives. It is a way to connect with the outside world while in place at our homes. Abby and Maddy have been using Zoom and Skype for violin and piano lessons, chatting with friends and even Abby’s chamber string group. This week, though, we did something really cool.

A family Easter tradition is to celebrate a Passover Seder Meal. This tradition goes back as long as I can remember, but since we aren’t getting together in groups, it seemed like it would be impossible to keep it going this year. In stepped Zoom. A meeting time was scheduled, and everyone received their invitation to log on. Each family set their table with the traditional foods for the meal, and at the designated time, from ten different locations all over Hillsborough County and even as far away as Wisconsin, we came together to participate in our annual tradition. Admittedly, the singing and music was a little tough – a three-second lag in audio means that even when you think you are singing together, it still ends up kind of like a round. But that notwithstanding, it really worked well. There were no technical glitches once we got started, and seeing family that we can’t go visit right now was amazing. We are already planning another digital gathering for Easter Sunday, so that even though we can’t gather, we can still be together.

So, what are you doing to maintain a feeling of community? It’s true that digital just isn’t the same as being together in person, but with so many ways to connect virtually at our fingertips, it is making this quarantine period just a little bit easier. Imagine having to go through this five or ten years ago. We just wouldn’t have had as many ways to maintain the same connected feeling.  

Of course, with Easter coming up this weekend, there are still lots that we are going to miss out on. One is the Kerby’s Easter Egg Hunt. This would have been the 12th year that we’ve hosted the hunt, and we had plans for it to be bigger and better than it has ever been before. Since we can’t do that, we’ve created a Virtual Easter Egg Hunt for you to participate in. Our virtual hunt won’t take the place of the fun we have every year watching kids take over the nursery with their baskets in hand, but it will give you and your family a little fun.

We hope that however you celebrate this Easter holiday, you find your own way to create community and connections. Being together is so important, and I think this stay-at-home time is showing us how much we may have taken it for granted. We await, with joyful hope, the day that we can all come together again, in school, in church, or even for a simple family gathering. Until then, may you remain as connected as possible and have a safe and happy Easter.