“In this challenging time, many of us have been reminded that life, and especially parenting, rarely goes according to plan,” Obama wrote Sunday.
“Many mothers have been working tirelessly to get their families, work places, communities and themselves through this crisis. And I know that many of you are separated from your families today, either because of physical estrangement or because your loved ones are essential workers , sacrificing this time to keep the rest of us safe. “
As health workers fight Covid-19, some parents choose to live apart from their children to protect them from the virus. Some families are also plagued by fear and anxiety when Covid-19 makes forays into nursing homes across the country, threatening the lives of vulnerable older adults.
Obama’s Mother’s Day message shared a similar tone to his Easter message this year, in which he said “he has felt a new sense of gratitude for all the little moments he used to take for granted.”
The former first lady recently spoke about her experience as a mother in the White House in her documentary “Becoming” released on Netflix on Wednesday. Obama offers information on the challenges he had to keep his daughters punished while living in a mansion with help and privileges. She says she insisted that they clean their own rooms and wash their own clothes, for example.
Obama also shared that she let the girls have a last sleepover with friends on their last night at the White House, but had to wake them up in the morning saying, “Wake up, the triumphs are coming!”
First Lady Melania Trump also shared a recorded Mother’s Day message on social media on Sunday, but did not mention the coronavirus pandemic.
“Today, we recognize and honor all of our mothers, grandmothers, and mother figures for their wisdom, love, and commitment to their children and our families.”
Trump said in the video. “I wish all of our mothers a happy Mother’s Day.”
