Allison Sells had "zero expectations" for her birthday, coming as it did in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak. Sells, her husband and two daughters usually celebrate birthdays with the same group of friends. But a planned party had been recast as an informal outdoor gathering and then no get-together at all.
A day before she turned 46, a friend called and asked if she could be available the next morning for a "social-distancing-approved surprise."
Sells was expecting a gal pal to drop by, but at 11 a.m. a caravan of cars pulled up in front of her southwest Minneapolis house. Out popped family friends and their children. Armed with balloons and presents, they sang a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday," all while remaining at least 6 feet apart.
The kids played in the empty street and the parents called greetings to one another as Sells received heartfelt gifts — hand soap and lotion, homemade margarita mix and a key lime pie, a favorite that Sells said "is hard to come by right now."
It was a cold, windy morning, so the party didn't last long, except in Sells' memory.
"It just totally melted my heart," she said. "We're all in this state, and my friends are finding ways to make me feel special."
Connie Nelson
What have you done or seen to lift your spirits amid the COVID outbreak? Tell us on Twitter at #smileminnesota.
