Accepting the Unexpected Journey

I have no idea what this coming school year holds. I don’t know how long I will be teaching in person, if or when we will be forced online, and I don’t know what school is going to look like for my own kids. I’m scared and apprehensive and exhausted and hopeful all at the same time.

COVID-19 didn’t break us, it showed us what was broken. We were so busy pretending that everything was ok and that we loved the rat race that we didn’t stop to consider what it was doing to our bodies and souls. And then everything stopped and suddenly we had to slow down and face the boredom that we’ve desperately avoided our entire lives.

I’m beginning to wonder if one of the reasons some people are struggling and insisting on a return to “normal” is because they didn’t allow themselves the space to grieve the loss of normal before accepting that loss and moving on to see it as a way to grow. We need to allow ourselves to grieve that loss. We need to give people the grace and space to grieve the things that have disappeared, some of them permanently. And then we need to start looking for the places where we see potential for a better future moving forward.

There are no easy answers here, but as long as we are acting in the interest of our families and our greater communities, we can let go of fear and act with the caution that our individual community situations require.

Do we just resign ourselves to staying at home for the rest of our lives? No, there is another way to get out of the house, regain quality family and couple time, and still adhere to social distancing guidelines that keep you, your family, and your neighbors safe. Maybe it’s time for your family to finally explore the possibility of camping.

We are going to be in the messy in-between for a long time and it is in our best interest to work together to figure out how to move forward while looking out for each other.