Love Letter: Dancing With Mom From a Distance

And: Free hugs for all.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story May 7, 2021 By Charanna Alexander During the early days of the pandemic, many families had to forgo in-person visits with senior loved ones as a means to keep them safe. A year ago, the lockdown forced Erika Shimahara, the writer of this week's Modern Love essay, to find a safe and creative way to stay engaged with her 84-year-old mother, who lives in an assisted living facility. The pair spent their time working up a sweat and dancing to a curated playlist of her mother's favorite songs over FaceTime. "If it weren't for Covid, I never would have learned that my mother and I can have fun together without actually being in the same place," Ms. Shimahara writes. MODERN LOVE "At the end of a good session, she settles into her chair with arms splayed, closes her eyes and smiles." Brian Rea Modern Love Doing 'The Washing Machine' With My 84-Year-Old Mother How a ridiculous dance — several, actually — kept us connected through Covid. By Erika Shimahara MORE MODERN LOVE Readers share their heartfelt tales of love. Brian Rea Modern Love Tiny Love Stories: 'Every Morning We Got Up and Did It Again' Modern Love in miniature, featuring reader-submitted stories of no more than 100 words. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT LOVE AND MARRIAGE "We just wanted to have fun and laugh. But what we got out of it was so much more. We fell in love." Elizabeth Bick for The New York Times Vows A Love of Sea Monsters Was the First Clue In 2014, Caitlin Kiernan was not interested in dating. But when a close friend suggested that she go out with Kenny Kaplan, their mutual appreciation for a children's TV show sealed the deal. By Abby Ellin Maggie Shannon for The New York Times Vows A Marriage That Started With a Search for Justice Jerome Dixon, who always maintained his innocence during his 21 years in prison, met Raha Dixon two years ago at a talk about racism and social change. By Jenny Block Audrey Malone From Best Friends to Platonic Spouses Some people are taking their friendships to the next level by saying "I do" to marriages without sex. By Danielle Braff ASK THE EXPERTS How to set boundaries with your parents. Christoph Niemann Social Q's How Do I Keep My Parents From Moving In With Us? After opening her home during the pandemic, a reader would like to set boundaries. By Philip Galanes Alberto Miranda Guest Essay How to Make Your Small Talk Big As we emerge from social isolation, there are ways to make our conversations richer and deeper.  By Anna Sale Luci Gutiérrez Plan Your Life Again, but Keep It Simple Even as we are optimistic about re-emerging from this crisis, plotting the future can feel daunting or even downright impossible. By Kayleen Schaefer Monika Aichele Resilience How Losing a Pet Can Make You Stronger The process of acceptance and letting go builds the resilience necessary to navigate an array of life's obstacles. By Kerry Hannon Cristina Spanò The Other Side of Languishing Is Flourishing. Here's How to Get There. Research shows that the pandemic took a toll on our overall well-being and left many of us drained. Here are seven simple steps to get you thriving again. By Dani Blum Continue reading the main story ADVERTISMENT MORE ON MOMS, LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS And, mothers and mother figures share their superpowers. 12 Moms on Their Secret Strengths Moms spend a lot of time cataloging their failures. This Mother's Day, revel in your talents. By The New York Times; Illustrations by Janet Mac Dan Callister/Newsmakers, via Getty Images Who Gets Xanadu 2.0, the Gates Family Mansion? Melinda Gates, at least, has been open about her desire to live in a smaller house. By Valeriya Safronova Adam Schultz/The White House, via Associated Press Wide-Angle Oddity: Giant Bidens Meet Tiny Carters A picture of two presidents and first ladies led to many Hobbit jokes online. We explain what happened. By Heather Murphy Saul Martinez for The New York Times Love or Spycraft: What Landed an American Teacher in a Cuban Prison? It was a romance steeped in international intrigue, and it landed Alina López Miyares in a Cuban prison. How much did she know about the web that entangled her? By Frances Robles Anja Slibar The NYT Parenting Newsletters When Grown-Ups Have Imaginary Friends "Parasocial relationships" explain why you think influencers are your pals. By Jessica Grose Publisher to Reissue Stacey Abrams's First Three Romance Novels Berkley plans to offer "Rules of Engagement," "The Art of Desire" and "Power of Persuasion" in 2022. By Heather Murphy We want to hear from you. We want to deliver content that truly matters to you and your feedback is helpful. Email your thoughts to loveletter@nytimes.com. Also, here's how to submit a Modern Love essay or how to be featured in an Unhitched column. Don't feel like writing more than a tweet, an Instagram caption or a Facebook post? Consider submitting to Tiny Love Stories, which are no more than 100 words. Getting married? Here's how to submit your love story and news of your upcoming marriage. Continue reading the main story Need help? 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