When COVID-19 first came swooping into our lives in the spring of 2020, I think we were all in a bit of shock. Being told of things like “stay at home orders” and figuring out how to work and school from home was much like drinking from a fire hose. We really had no idea what we were doing and it was all coming too quickly at us.
I remember back in April telling myself we just had to get to mid-June and then things would get easier. Once the kids were out of school and I no longer had to manage a role of full time employee and part time tutor, things would improve. Summer came and we learned many camps were closed or looked entirely different than years past. Drinking from the fire hose continued as we navigated through each day bringing new and different struggles and challenges. The new plan was to get to September so the kids could be back in school. Even in June, I was confident September would bring back some sort of normalcy, some sort of routine; even if COVID-19 was looming around.
In August, we learned the kids would continue as remote learners with really no end in sight. Sure, there are plans regarding how the re-opening of schools will work and phases in which students will re-enter the classrooms. But even our most talented and dedicated educators and administrators are not able to have a crystal ball to give us a timeline.
Here we are in the fall of 2020. I started to tell myself to just get through this season and then the winter would be better. But over six months into this pandemic, I have finally learned to stop setting myself up for disappointment. When winter comes, if my kids are still remote learning and life is still just plain weird, I don’t want to be any more frustrated than I already naturally will be. I am obviously hopeful that my kids will return on-site to school in some capacity before 2021. But I cannot make that some light that I look towards to make this season of fall any easier.
We cannot sustain drinking from a fire hose. We cannot constantly be setting ourselves up for shock, chaos and disappointment each time we learn the next season isn’t looking much better than the current one. This pandemic is tough. It’s ok to recognize that.
Giving myself the permission to stop sugar-coating that the next season will be filled with our old normal actually feels really good. It means that I am not fighting an impossible fight with myself everyday coming up with reasons why tomorrow just has to be better and why next season certainly will be better. Admitting that we just don’t know what the winter holds regarding COVID-19 allows me to stop feeling blasted by that fire hose.
Instead of figuring out exactly what tomorrow or next season brings, I’d encourage all of us to focus on today. To focus on the things we do know or that we can have some control over. To recognize the small wins that might come our way. This season will come and go and the next will follow. Remember to breathe. Remember this pandemic is impacting us all. Remember although you might feel alone sometimes, we truly are all in this together.
Read more of Stephanie’s contributions to allmomdoes here.
