Jim Bernard's family wanted to be with him today to celebrate the big 9-0, but they couldn't, so they did the best they could given the circumstances of the pandemic.
"With COVID, we're unable to have a family gathering. We've missed all the holidays. We missed Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, we're going to miss Mardi Gras. That's a huge blow for us, because that's our biggest family holiday," said Emily Hebert, one of his 16 grandchildren. "So we wanted to do something special for him, let him know we're all thinking about him and celebrate his birthday in a special way."
The family, which also includes 18 great-grandchildren, organized a birthday parade past his Lafayette home.
"I just want him to realize we're all thinking about him, even though we can't spend the day with him, and that he knows how much we all love him," Hebert said.
The parade was a surprise for Bernard, she said.
"Pappy, we all hope you have a great day today, we're all thinking about you, and we can't wait until we can celebrate special occasions and holidays again," she said.
