Spring is here. We are getting closer to summer. Our children, teens and we want to go out and play. COVID-19 has changed our landscape, for now. In order to share many more springs, summers, falls and winters, we want to be cautious about how we approach potential contact with others. Gloves, masks, hand, clothing and body washing as well as staying inside whenever possible are all current realities to keep ourselves safe. All these precautions are borne out of best safety practices and fear.
When we are concerned, worried and afraid our youth pick up on our thoughts and feelings, even if we aren’t saying them aloud. Therefore, we want to mitigate the trauma by expressing curiosity, hope and gratitude. Let us be curious about the scientific facts. Let us be hopeful about the planet, medicine and even our political future. Let us be grateful for a roof over our head, if we have one, food on our table, if we have some and family and/or friends close by, if that is so.
I admit to noticing my gratitude more now than in any time in my past. I do, indeed, have moments of fear. That is when I reach out to my friends and family to remind me of the richness in my life today.
“Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity. . .it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” Melody Beattie