Southwest Florida celebrates Mother’s Day

We’re experiencing another Mother’s Day during the pandemic, but there’s more joy and hopefulness this year compared to Mother’s Day 2020. More families are getting to spend time together this year instead of hopping onto a Zoom call. Mother’s Day is time to celebrate the women who raised us and gives families a reason to come together. This year, it’s even more welcome.

WINK News Reporter Taylor Wirtz asked how some of you how you’re celebrating.

Cassie Hall was in downtown Fort Myers for Mother’s Day. “There’s so many people that have been torn away from their families for whatever has been happening with quarantine, or just people being sick and not able to travel, maybe because they don’t have the means to, because they lost their job,” Hall said. “So us being together, it does mean a lot.”

This time last year, families were forced to celebrate separately, torn apart by the early months of the global pandemic.

“Mother’s Day last year we were home getting takeout and we had to zoom grandparents,” said Jessica Soderman in Fort Myers.

Now even the little things, like a hug, holding hands or a good old-fashioned brunch, are even more special.

“So I guess this is a very unique Mother’s Day. I think after this year of a lot of Zooming to connect, bedtime Zooming, birthday Zooming, we are really being in the moment and appreciating that we get to be together shoulder-to-shoulder, arm-to-arm and actually hugging,” said Wendy Soderman. “So this is more than Mother’s Day, I think this is truly Family Day now. Finally. Finally!”

James Galante came out to celebrate the women in his life. “Yeah, we have three generations of mothers here: my grandma, Paula; my mom, Nancy; and my sister, Katie,” Galante said.

Katie York is James’ sister. “We’ve just really pushed through and didn’t allow the circumstances of the world to affect what we do and who we love and what we’re going to value as a family,” York said.

“Just blessed to be a mom and to be together this year,” Soderman said.