Looking Forward

 My thoughts today are with all young families facing the dilemma of "Do we go back to school, or continue virtual learning?"  My heart💗 goes out to all these parents, having to make that decision, and I also think of the amazing teachers having to learn an entirely new way of teaching without socialization.  I have tried thru this pandemic to look for a ray of sunshine in all of these challenges., so here goes...  While COVID 19 has turned all our lives upside down, the crisis could be a much-needed opportunity to improve family life for the better, forever.  This virus has brought hardships for most of us, and at the top is economic insecurity for many, and tragedy for those who have lost a loved one. Think back to an ordinary week with the kids, there were school and daycare drop-offs, pickups and those hurried meals without the family being present just to get back in the car to drop-off all over again for dance lessons, piano, sports and a long list of after school activities.  Do you remember the times you wished to just take a breath from it all?  Well, now you have an empty calendar and here you are, no more school, no day-care, no after school activities and you are faced with the challenge of just being able to work.  In talking to a lot of young families, all those after school activities have been replaced with much simpler things like family walks, bike rides, horseback riding, and a resurgence of family game night.   Zoom meetings have provided an opportunity to be with all our long-distance family and friends as well as those that live close by.  With more time to plan meals, dusty cookbooks have come off the shelves and old family recipes, as well as healthier meals, are being prepared.  The family is sitting together and talking These are positive changes toward more of family life and while COVID 19 will continue, perhaps day by day we will get just 1% better and soon reach a "new normal," while still remembering how it felt to lead a much simpler life where you were actually able to sit back and watch how a family can interact with one another with joy and happiness just spending time making cookies with flour all over the kitchen.  Yes, we can still look forward to smiling faces.