Connect With Your Closest Friends and Family Using the “Family Mailbox”
When my husband’s parents returned from a trip to Florida in early March, I picked them up from the airport and my son and I nudged them with our elbows in greeting instead of our usual hugs. Since that night, we have not been within six feet of them, despite the fact that they live only seven minutes from our house, and we are used to getting together regularly for special occasions, barbecues, family dinners and my son’s football. and basketball games.
One of the hardest things about overcoming the social distancing that this pandemic requires is losing regular personal contact with the people we love. Our relatives, our friends – even our neighbors – seem so close, but so far away. We’ve all used zoom, FaceTiming, and Skype whenever possible, but many of us, including our kids, are hungry for more connectivity than that. We need to get creative.
One way to connect with loved ones who live nearby is to create what the Very Well Family calls “Family Storage Box”:
Every individual or nuclear family begins by placing a box in front of their home. (For added safety, choose a box with a lid and place it in a secluded place.) Then everyone commits to throwing something special – such as a note, a photograph, or some small gift – into each other’s boxes weekly, daily, or with any suitable frequency.
You can schedule this (check your inbox every Wednesday after 2:00 pm!) Or as a surprise (leave a note or object leaning against the front door, ring the doorbell and run away). You can take turns exchanging small gifts or simply showering an elderly relative with treats, even if – or especially if – they cannot respond to the favor.
Items you exchange may include handwritten letters, postcards, original children’s drawings, freshly baked cookies, or a favorite snack you were looking for on your bimonthly grocery trip. Let the kids talk about ideas and get involved in creating and delivering treats – and if loved ones can reciprocate, so much the better for the kids to have something new to expect a couple of times a week.
Just keep in mind that while the risk of transmitting the coronavirus in this way is low, there is no zero risk. Treat these little scraps and gifts the same way you would with groceries , mail, and bags – and then wash your hands thoroughly.