Mary Angel

(10/2020) It appears we have all made it through the first month of a new normal in education and work. I hope everyone has made it through unscathed. I can only imagine some of the challenges and unusual conversations that have occurred in each of your homes. I myself have walked into a room where two of my children were deep in philosophical conversations about Scooby Doo that were so above my head, that I snuck right back out the way I came. I have also talked to several teachers who are not only struggling with technical glitches, but are also simply missing the kids in their classrooms. That being said, I have also heard many positives through all of this.

A couple days ago, I ran into a teacher friend of mine) and she was struggling with some technology issues. At the same time, she was hopefully wishing for a return to a normal school day, all while pointing out that she has been able to have one on one time with some students while most students have hopped off her live class to complete their seat work. I have also talked to some teachers who were grateful for the upgrades to their buildings that would not have happened if the students were in person. I definitely want to send a thank you out to all of the school systems that jumped quickly on projects that needed to be completed without students in the buildings.

Before the heat was turned up on Coronavirus and we were on lockdown or what my family calls Coronacation, my youngest had been sad over the fact that her siblings were growing up and their imminent departure from our home was looming large. She commented last week that she wished no one had to be sick and especially felt horrible for all the families who have lost loved ones. On a positive note, she was so very grateful for the amount of family time we have had through all of this. Even with my husband and I both losing our jobs through cutbacks and shutdowns, we have still found free ways to have fun as a family. The nights spent playing board games, Jackbox, and Among Us have meant more to her than anything on which we could have spent money.

I have seen many of my friends who have had the time to start exercising. Whether it is walking, jogging, tennis, or swimming, people have been trying to get healthy and ward off the dreaded quarantine 15. I personally have struggled in this area and salute each and every one of you that is making a healthy lifestyle change. It is so important during all of this to stay or even get healthy physically. Maybe you will try a new sport or exercise routine, or maybe a new healthier eating program.

This is the perfect opportunity to include the kids. Speaking as a mom whose daughter struggles immensely with her weight and staying active, it is super important to instill these skills and habits in them when they are young. Having each family member assigned to be in charge of dinner for a different night of the week is a great way to teach cooking and food preparation skills for healthy eating. You can even have smaller children team up with another family member for a specific meal. Family walks, hikes, basketball games, or even corn hole competitions (a family favorite) are great ways to stay active and make some amazing memories during all of this craziness.

When I have gotten glum in the last few months, my kids and husband are great cheerleaders and always find a way to cheer me up and point me to a more positive outlook. That really is what it is all about. We are a family, a team; we are here to lift one another up when one of us is down. My youngest, as some of you know, is extremely observant and intuitive. She recently asked me if Coronacation wouldn’t be a lot easier if everyone who complained about wearing a mask just spent that energy on building up other people. I explained that her theory could be applied to so many situations. After all, how many of us can say that we have never had a bad day that was at some point improved by the love and kindness of another person. Maybe that is another positive during Coronacation. We all have the opportunity to help others, to teach our children how to care for other people, and to create an environment of love and not divisiveness. Even with my husband and I without jobs, my children have taken their own money to donate to food pantries, buy a candy bar to cheer up a friend, and treat their mom to a special coffee at McDonalds.

Every week, we sit down as a family and discuss our upcoming schedules and lives. This weekly event started because I was trying to figure out everyone’s plans so I could plan meals. This is a wonderful opportunity to not only write down everyone’s work and school schedules, but also to ask each of them to tell us something we could be praying for them and something positive that happened in the previous week. I am not suggesting this routine would work for every family. By all means, make it your own. If you have small children maybe just ask them what they are grateful for. This is also a wonderful time to find out if anything is stressing them out. Let’s face the fact that this is a very stressful time no matter who you are or what age you are.

My challenge to you all is to find the positives for you and your family, and by all means celebrate them! Take time out of your week to create your own positives as a family. God Bless you all!!

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