All annual holidays have a ring of normality, of marking one more year among many. But for each and every one of us this has been a highly unusual year that has little in common with those preceding it.

Some mothers and children, like Annette and Vassie Buchanan, are separated on either side of closed borders.

Others, like the hard-working staff at our hospitals, are experiencing one of the busiest periods of their entire lives: like senior staff specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology at Launceston General Hospital, Dr Amanda Dennis.

Across the city, businesses that would normally be enjoying a bump in sales from a day oriented around gift-giving are instead working their guts out to innovate and bring their products and services to customers while remaining safe and socially distanced.

But it's important to remember that the sacrifices we are making are vital.

We all want to spend time with our families, on this day especially.

But elderly Tasmanians, Tasmanians with underlying health conditions, and Tasmanians working in health care that don't need any more outbreaks, are mothers, daughters, and sons as well.

It's because of them that we need to respect the rules, stop the spread, and stay together by keeping apart.

As noted in a column in today's paper, it's worrying that some people seem to have thrown out the idea of social distancing altogether.

While a roadmap to recovery has been outlined by our state and federal governments, we still need to be as careful as possible to prevent a second wave.

In saying that, it's OK to feel sad about not seeing your mother today.

Mothers, it's OK to feel sad about not doing the activities you would normally do with your children.

Home-schooling mothers, it's OK to feel overwhelmed, and those with fractious family relationships or who are grieving loved ones, it's OK for this to be a hard day.

Everyone in the state is struggling a little bit, and we're all in this together.