*I have been compensated for this post, however, all ideas are my own.



While many states are reopening, a lot of folks (including myself) are hesitant to go out and about or meet up with friends. And if you're anything like myself, Zoom hangouts and facetime calls are kind of exhausting. But it's so important to still celebrate accomplishments, connect with loved ones, and share little reminders of joy. So I wanted to share a few ideas on ways to connect and celebrate from afar.


Send some snail mail.

I had a friend recently send me a hand-painted watercolor card with a handwritten note inside, and it is something I will treasure. I always loved having penpals as a child, but once social media became more common, snail mail kind of floated out the window. But I still love receiving legit, personalized mail (obviously not bills and all those grown up things). So I loved the letter from my good pal. And now, more than ever, it's so important to continue utilizing the USPS. You can buy stamps from their website (and they have super cool ones, or even customized ones!). And as there are lots of talks of defunding the USPS, purchases from customers are so critical to keeping the postal service strong. I'm hoping to write more letters and cards to send to pals. It's such a kind, thoughtful, and inexpensive way to share love.



Commemorate them with a custom plaque, sculpture, or nameplate.

This time right now is so weird. COVID has really changed the way we celebrate. I'll be 30 next week, and that celebration will be a lot weirder than I expected it to be. We just bought a house, and haven't been able to celebrate that accomplishment with friends and family. My nephew turned 18 and graduated high school. My students that I work with regularly graduated college. But we haven't been able to celebrate these accomplishments. Graduates weren't able to publicly graduate. Yes, sad things are happening, but missing out on those celebrations is tragic in its own way, as well. So celebrate them in a more concrete (or aluminum or bronze) way. You can create custom aluminum plaques to honor or celebrate them. Or if they're starting a new office job, get a custom nameplate for their new desk. East Point Foundry offers a ton of different custom cast options for personal or business needs.




Make a donation to support a fund that's important to them.

Nothing really shows you care like supporting justice, funding, and well-being of the groups that are important to your friends and loved ones. Whether you donate time or money to orgs like Black Lives Matter, the American Diabetes Foundation, or even a small, local GoFundMe account, your donation could be absolutely life-changing, or life-saving.





Share something with them that reminds you of them or that you'll think they'll enjoy.

When I see an exciting new release book, or see a movie I know that someone has been wanting to watch become available to stream, the first thing I do is I shoot a text over to the person it reminded me of. 99% of the time? It's my nephew or sister. That text may spark a conversation we've been missing out on, but the least it does is let them know I'm thinking of them.



Watch a movie or series together.

Okay, okay. So this is a little Zoom-y. But there are other ways to watch a movie together from afar. You can each make sure to start it at the same time, pause at the same time (if needed), and live text each other if you're not wanting to video or voice chat. But it brings about just a small reminder of normalcy.



Play a game together. 
Another Zoom-ish option is playing a game together, and maybe there are other ways to go about it. However, I've only experienced virtual games via Zoom. Honestly, I was very hesitant to have a Zoom party, but I really enjoyed the time with a small group of friends. We played Cards Against Humanity, and it was such a good time. As mentioned, though, there are probably a ton of ways to play games from afar, but this was a great option for me.