Mom on Zoom

My family has recently started conducting Zoom virtual happy hours.  Talking with my siblings and nieces and nephews has been a silver lining of this this Covid time…..but maybe less so for my 82 yr old mother (or “Nana” to my nieces and nephews).  I mean if someone successfully managed to make it 80+ years without having to do a conference call, nevermind a video conference call….it seems unfair to change the rules now.  But that does NOT stop the McCs from giving my mom her own login and aiming the iPad camera at her.

A few things I’ve noted about Nana on these Zoom calls:

• We think my mom wants to join the calls, but we don’t really give her a choice.  See…she has these fancy hearing aids that can Bluetooth into an iPad.  I think you can see where this is going.  On most days, that feature combined with her audiobooks is the greatest thing since sliced bread.  But during happy hours…. we start the zoom meeting on her iPad and before she knows it, we have piped the meeting straight into her ears. 
• “Welcome to happy hour Nana”.  I HOPE we give her some warning before the Agatha Christie book ends and the McC happy hour begins.
• Like seriously people – do NOT piss Nic off.  One day she’ll control all our hearing aids from an app on her phone and you could find yourself on an endless loop of Lil Nas’ Old Town Road if you’re not careful. 
• Unbelievably – MOM is the one who insists on getting out of her pajamas for the Zoom call.  I did not see that one coming.  My mom does not insist on getting out of her pjs for just about anything.  Nic has randomly started telling mom that “tonight is another virtual happy hour” just to get a chance to wash her bathrobe.
• There is a noticeable amount of excitement in mom’s voice when my sister-in-law’s video pops up on the Zoom gallery.  “Ohhhhh, there’s Shelly!” None of the rest of us register that much excitement even though it’s been JUST as long since she saw my brother.  Noted, mother, noted.
• My sister Nic has to go in a different room so the mic’s on my mom’s iPad and her laptop don’t create that ear piercing echo.  Just to tell you how tough my mother is, everyone else in the house is wincing and cringing from that awful echoey whine and despite it being piped into her ears, she doesn’t even blanch.  Hmmm…maybe THAT’S why she doesn’t love these calls.
• And speaking of Nic, reconciling Nic in another room to her also being on her iPad screen is still a bit of a conundrum.  Like…she’s looking at her….but also looking for her.  And you can almost see the thought bubble over her head reading “if she’s only on the screen, will she see me if I sneak off to bed…”
• The 15 second warning that my mom is getting ready to hang up is usually something like the following:  “Well…I can see you all but I can’t follow a word you’re saying.”  Next up….the sound of discarded hearing aids.
• Weekly group socialization means this is actually less quarantining than my mother is used to   and she would like her money back on this self-isolation. 

Overall though it is AWESOME to get to get together on these calls and for all of us to get to see her. 

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