Celebration Frustration

From as far as I can remember, celebrations have played a big role in my life and the way I share memories. It’s those special moments captured in time that we cherish the most and lock away safely in our hearts. This year has nearly put a halt to those gatherings. During this time of a global pandemic, we all are faced with a challenge that forces us to rethink the way we do everything from shopping to being a part of a family. Covid-19 has separated and distanced us by at least six feet.

As impatient as we are to get back to the way things were, we must think outside the box and come up with new ways to bookmark and share those memories and moments that are special to us.

I noticed my own frustrations creeping up to the surface as my birthday drew near. The closer it was, the more I began to resent the coronavirus and its effects on our world. Not to sound vain or anything but, I wanted to go shopping at the mall, visit my grandparents and family without worrying about the possibility of making them sick, go to the beach and relax in the pool, or simply sit down and eat dinner in a restaurant with a gang of my friends.

Everything was planned out for my thirty-fifth born year. My friends were going to fly into Oklahoma City and we were going to stay overnight at the Slice R&R Retreat in Sapulpa, a luxury cabin that sits on the lake. I even had a theme and everyone was going to choose their favorite look from Dirty Dancing and carry watermelons down to the picnic tables on the lake. We were going to dance to songs like Hey! Baby by Bruce Channel and Love is Strange by Mickey and Sylvia and take pictures. But that did not happen. Scared by the coronavirus, catching flights was no longer an option.

Rather than give up on celebrating her birthday with friends, Kashea McCowan found joy in doing what she can amid the pandemic.

We could have given up, or postponed to next year, but instead we found another solution. Since I was in Georgia visiting my parents at the time, all seven of us met at my best friend’s house. She ordered Juicy Crab to-go and installed a dance pole for us girls to try. It wasn’t quite like the movie but we did get some dirty dancing in. We ate, played drinking games, and sat in a circle on her living room floor. We munched on our favorite snacks and beverages and woke up to fresh fruit, bacon, eggs, and pancakes the next morning. Though we were all frustrated about the monkey wrench thrown into our plans, we were able to make the best of it. And I realized that there is no need to get upset about not being able to do exactly what I wanted to do. Things happen for a reason and I am glad it happened the way it did. My party turned out perfectly and there was no overthinking—which I am known to do—or planning. We had no choice but to go with the flow and work with what we had.

And that is exactly true for everyone. Graduations or any type of gathering with over ten people couldn’t happen this year. But I can say that, regardless of the many frustrations we all have, we’ve done a pretty darn good job at adjusting and finding new ways to remember those moments that are special to us.

Written By

Kashea McCowan

When she is not working for the magazine, Kashea operates a small soap-making business, Herban Root Apothecary, while she also manages a design and screen printing business. In her spare time she loves gardening and spending time in nature, reading, writing, creating, listening to music, dancing, and doing yoga.