Where There's a Will, There's a Virtual Way
I didn’t need a Pandemic or the circumstances surrounding it to teach me what is important in life. Strong Faith and valuing the people and relationships in my life have been at the forefront for me practically all of my life. Similarly, I have tons of experience with finding new ways to do old and ordinary things!
My beautiful mother had her 70th birthday this month and we had been planning to bless her with a fabulous celebration. Last year when I first asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday, she paused to think about it and then mentioned a boat dinner cruise around NYC. I was shocked and thrilled! My mother is always reminding us that she doesn’t like boats, so I was surprised by her desire to be on one for her birthday. (Read more about my Mom on a past blog post “Mom is Blooming Where She’s Planted”) To add to this shock-and-awe(hahaha), a few days later my Mom added an additional idea of renting a party bus for her and a few close friends and family to ride into the city in. Say what?? Yes! She was absolutely speaking my language! You get the idea, her 70th Birthday party was slated to be one for the books. I’m a gifted planner who enjoys all the little details and gets a sense of pleasure from seeing a plan/event come to fruition. But for some reason, I didn’t rush to plan anything. Her birthday stayed on my mind and I would casually run my ideas by my friends or do quick Google searches for ideas. Before I knew it, we were in February and not even a save the date went out. Yikes! To give you a little insight, I visualize just about everything that I end up doing. I never saw it! Time was flying by, so I moved to thinking about her back up plan which was a Broadway show and a dinner party. When I did begin to call places, obtain quotes, inquire about dates, etc., I kept batting zero. My mom is as cool as a cucumber, chill, and super patient, so she wasn’t stressing it. Big party or not, she knows that I would make her birthday special no matter what. For me, it was just important to plan what she wanted to do.
Well, the Pandemic took care of all of that because here we are in April (her birthday month) and unable to partake in any form of in-person party with friends and family who aren’t quarantined with us. You guessed it, I was still determined to make this milestone birthday memorable for my Mom! Even more so now because I believe in not waiting to live out your hopes and dreams. Our only saving grace was to get creative with using the resources we had and have at our disposal. God’s timing is always perfect, so in the weeks leading up to her birthday, I was invited to and attended a virtual brunch (read about it here) via the ZOOM platform that temporarily transported us all back to social gatherings beyond the confines of our homes. This event inspired me to move forward with planning a party for my Mom despite the circumstances. If I could feel great by meeting up with friends over a virtual platform, she would feel even more amazing by being celebrated by and with loved ones.
If nothing else, I KNOW that where there’s a will there’s a way; this time, virtually!
I was ignited and determined to make my Mom’s 70th Birthday a celebration that blessed her and everyone who attended. So, that's what I did with the help of friends and family.
Before the event
I asked my Mom to determine and provide me with her guest list. While she was doing that (took a good two days), I pitched the idea to one of my best friends, who helped bring the vision of a “musical theme” to life. My friend immediately offered for her and her daughter to sing “Ease on Down The Road” from the musical “The Wiz”. This got me thinking about who else might be comfortable with using their talents to bless her during the event. My husband plays the trumpet, so he offered to serenade her with “My Girl” by The Temptations. This was shaping up nicely! Next my daughter offered to do a solo Jazz dance performance to the song “Be Italian” from the Broadway Musical “NIne”.
Once the performances were set, I moved to deciding on how to set up her area for the party. I/We have planned so many events over the years that one trip to the basement storage provided all of our needs. It was set, my Mom would have a pink sequin backdrop with her own chair, flowers beside her, a happy birthday banner, a balloon for good measure, and a lighted sign with the words “Cheryl’s 70th BDAY”. Naturally, we were sure to have a signature mocktail in a lighted flute, birthday cupcakes, and a special birthday dinner. Something was still missing...we needed a DJ and a picture slideshow, which was quickly taken care of.
Next, the invitations were sent out via evite.
The day before was used for putting up the backdrop and placing the laptop and her chair in a perfect position where she could see all the guests on the TV screen (not the computer) and guests could see her clearly. Out of everything, this took the most time and coordination. Thanks to my cousin who was on ZOOM giving us feedback with the placement for almost two hours.
Party program (three hour event)
Included with the Evite was a program to let guests know that preplanned entertainment and reflections would happen at specific times during the course of the three hour event.
DJ ‘Shai was on playing the custom playlist of Mom’s favorite songs, so we danced!
During the Virtual party
The event started on time with the picture slideshow playing as guests entered the “room”. It was nice to see and hear guests chat among themselves and sit in anticipation of my Mom’s entrance. After fifteen minutes or so, the DJ played her entrance song (I’m Coming Out by: Diana Ross) as she sashayed to her special spot in front of the computer. Immediately we moved to a beautiful prayer by another one of my best friends who set the tone for a blessed afternoon.
From start to finish, my mother’s eyes and spirit were beaming! Everyone’s energy filled the room and we legit felt like we were at a regular party. On our end, we all dressed for the occasion to further set the tone. My Mom wore a formal dress and this enhanced that no matter what was going on in the world around us, this moment in time was EXTRAordinary in the best way. The program flowed smoothly and a little quicker than we planned. Impromptu speeches and various renditions of the Happy Birthday song were belted out beautifully along with the sounds of laughter that only come from a place of genuine love. All the performers were professional and the live entertainment was a great touch. After four hours, we still weren’t ready to leave our loved ones or to stop celebrating Mom. All of our hearts were full and I realized that my Mom’s party turned out to be exactly what we all needed!
“When everything is uncertain, everything that is important becomes clear.”
Push past how you feel and put effort into your life. Start where you are and apply it to whatever area you choose. Don’t be afraid to be EXTRAordinary! Don’t be afraid to lean on what you know are the most important and invaluable aspects of your life; love, family, faith, relationships, happiness, etc. These exist no matter what external circumstances surround you.
I would love to hear about the ZOOM events you’ve been attending. Share your experiences down below!
