Roberta Landers, 93, was in a Great Neck nursing home, her quality of life already severely diminished, when she was diagnosed with coronavirus.
Her daughter — Madelynn Schwarz of Roslyn Heights — couldn't be there. So she says she sent mom mental messages.
“Be at a peace, mom. You are OK. We love you. You can let go. It’s fine. Don’t struggle.” Her mom passed on April 22.
At the cemetery, Madelynn wore a mask and held a white umbrella as her sister shoveled dirt on the coffin on a cold, rainy morning.
They could not hug. And while their husbands were with them, all the other attendees were on Zoom.
Afterward, Madelynn and her husband returned to an empty house to sit shiva. They ate bagels, and then Madelynn went upstairs.
She closed the bedroom door and sat. Overwhelmed, she put her hands over her face and began softly crying.