We can’t hug our mothers this year for Mother’s Day, but we’re still celebrating them

Imagine Mother’s Day with only virtual hugs and air kisses from children, grandchildren and other loved ones.

To our dismay, that day has arrived as our lives have changed due to the coronavirus.

On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus a global pandemic. In the United States alone, there were more than 1.2 million cases of COVID-19, the highest number in the world, and more than 73,000 deaths as of Wednesday evening.

Mother’s Day, on Sunday, will go down in infamy as the first time mothers can be honored only from a distance. Social distancing, wearing masks and quarantines are necessary to help stop the disease from infecting individuals, families and communities.

Prevention tips include avoiding close contact with sick individuals; frequently washing hands with soap and water; not touching the eyes or mouth with unwashed hands; and practicing good respiratory hygiene such as covering the nose/mouth when coughing or sneezing.

In the midst of COVID-19, families are finding ways to celebrate holidays and connect with each other.

Patricia Jennings-Braynon’s birthday was celebrated with a mobile party. “We all sat in our cars and sang Happy Birthday,” she wrote in a text message. Jennings-Braynon and her daughter, Jina, share the same birthday, April 20.

Family and friends started 24 hours in advance with a Zoom birthday eve happy hour. Approximately 30 people joined the fun: family from London, a college roommate from Las Vegas, family from North Carolina and others from South Florida, including neighbors from across the street.

The matriarch of pioneer Miami’s Ward-Jennings-Braynon family, Overtown native Patricia Jennings-Braynon, is a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin and friend. Historically, she and husband, Oscar Sr., are known for hosting family and community gatherings at their spacious home in Miami Gardens.

Disappointed that the traditional baby shower for her niece was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, “Aunt Pat” researched several ways to host a virtual baby shower. She discovered a website that offered a structure for all the shower needs including the guest book, photo album, gift registry and games.

Jennings-Braynon combined the website with a link to join the party the day before the shower. More than 50 attendees on devices joined the fun, played games and interacted with the parents-to-be, Patrick and Jasmyne Thomas.

In this brave new world, the Jennings-Braynon family is “learning how to make the best of this new way of living.”

The safety of her family comes first. Jennings-Braynon looks forward to exchanging real hugs with her family again in the near future, before next Mother’s Day.

Genealogy connects families

Patricia Jennings-Braynon is also a genealogy enthusiast. Of Bahamian and Jamaican ancestry, she is constantly searching for family relationships.

She and her husband, both retired county administrators, travel extensively following leads, collecting historical records, searching for ancestors, meeting new relatives and connecting with family.

Recently, as a result of Ancestry DNA testing, Jennings-Braynon was introduced to a sister she never knew existed. The new sister was invited to celebrate with the family and joined the virtual baby shower.

Together with Miami genealogy devotee Marvin Ellis, Jennings-Braynon has given talks and presented workshops throughout Miami-Dade County.

For several years, Ellis, who spends most of his waking hours tracing and finding his ancestors of the West Indian/Georgia lineage, organized programs featuring the research of both families in Miami at The Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater in Overtown and Books & Books in Coral Gables. Braynon is chairman of the board at The Black Archives, History & Research Foundation of South Florida.

Individuals and families looking for activities while “sheltered-in-place’‘ are encouraged to search for ancestors and family history using numerous resources and workshops online.

One that may be of interest to beginners and those already involved in genealogy is a workshop on May 16 sponsored by the Senator John Heinz History Center.

The workshop, “African American and Native American Ancestry,” will run from 10 a.m. to noon on May 16. It’s part of the African American program at the Center in partnership with the Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society of Pittsburgh and the Department of Africana Studies at the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Alaina Roberts of the University of Pittsburgh and Angela Walton-Raji a noted genealogist of both African American and Native peoples’ ancestry, will be the moderators. There is a $10 fee.

This program will kick off a year-long schedule of virtual engagement. Please share the link — https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/events/african-american-genealogy-workshop-2020—and let’s hope to have a universal audience. Questions about the program should be directed to Sam Black, the program’s director, at 412-454-6391 or email him at swblack@heinzhistorycenter.org.

Dorothy Jenkins Fields, Ph.D., is a historian and founder of The Black Archives, History & Research Foundation of South Florida Inc. Send feedback to djf@bellsouth.net