So far 2020 has felt like one sucker punch after another and although I always try to stay positive; especially for my girls, it’s been hard to see the bright side of this year.
My heart has been so heavy lately and I was struggling to find a topic that seemed worthy to write about this month. Each time I took a moment to just be silent, I kept coming back to the innocence of my children…how have they responded in these unprecedented times that we are living in? They have responded in the way that we, as adults, should be responding and I realized they have taught me FAR more than I have taught them during this time.
They have responded with love. Love for each other, they have requested more “sister sleepovers”, they have built more forts, they have played for hours peacefully together, they have made up plays and songs and cheers. They have given more hugs and kisses, they have prayed alongside us, they have shown me that love can triumph over fear always!
They have responded with joy…our house has been full of laughter between these three sweet sisters. They find joy and laughter in the simple moments of life and I’m thankful that they haven’t seemed burdened by the heaviness of the world this year. They’ve created memories and fun “inside” jokes with each other and our family that I pray they look back on with fond memories.
They have responded with enthusiasm…because we were limited on what we have been able to do over the past three months we’ve had to get creative. They have been so excited for all the nightly walks, bike rides, home movie nights (with candy and popcorn), drive-by greetings with friends, FaceTime calls with family, friends and church groups, and spending more time in the kitchen cooking and baking with me.
When I really sat and thought about this, I was disappointed in how I did respond, especially initially. I responded with fear, with worry, with uncertainty, with doubt, with anger. What if we could all step back and respond more like our children, and allow our first responses to be to love our neighbors and our community stronger, to seek out joy and laughter in each day. What if we look enthusiastically towards ways this experience can foster growth, creativity, and ultimately we can better ourselves and our nation.
I am challenging myself this month to do just this and I invite you to join me. I believe with this mindset we can change the world!
