One day, all the history books will speak about the great pandemic of 2020; they will tell about how terribly it affected the economy, families, and all the incredible restrictions placed on communities. It will highlight how many people lost their jobs and spent weeks worrying about how they would pay their bills. Future generations will hear about the vast number of people who contracted the virus and how many people perished. There will be many who say, "I can't even imagine".
It's true...what we are experiencing has been traumatic for countless individuals and their families. In my family alone, my children have been deeply affected. My daughter, a sophomore in college, had to cut her semester short to come home to complete her courses. Bless her heart, trying to take 5 classes that were never meant to be online, with the never-ending background noise coming from her siblings, has been tough. That doesn't even take into account the fact that she had to leave her friends and the place she calls "home" without a proper goodbye.
My oldest son saw his senior year abruptly come to an end. His varsity soccer season was cut short; they were undefeated and likely moving toward the championship. My boy missed out on prom, senior skip day, senior field day, and all senior trips that were being planned. As if those disappointments weren't enough, he also had to grind out 5 AP classes online. At one point, even the dream of a high school graduation ceremony looked bleak.
Christian seemed to handle it fairly well. He was, of course, disappointed to not be able to workout with his buddies or go to football practices. However, the greatest blow for him came in the form of a driving permit...that great milestone would have to wait.
My not-so-littles missed out on their fifth-grade graduation ceremony, field day, yearbook signing, and saying goodbye to their closest friends and teachers. Online learning was a challenge as we all had to learn various platforms and go through the tedious trial and error process. It was not always pretty in the Roy household, but we managed. Perhaps the most devastating realization of all for these girls was...no more gymnastics for a while.
Yes. We will read many stories highlighting the personal impact stemming from the overwhelming events of this great pandemic. While the realities of this situation have, in many cases, been grim, there is a wonderful gift to this story that may be overlooked...the gift of time.
We have all been granted the most precious gift of time. Before this, I could not tell you the last time we put a puzzle together or the last time we had a 3-hour Monopoly battle. Workouts became more creative. Walking the dogs became a daily thing. We colored with chalk, dyed our hair, played dozens of board games, and had outdoor movie nights. I was gifted with more lengthy conversations with my big kids than I can count. These moments have warmed my heart and blessed my spirits on a daily basis. Speaking of blessings, can we talk about church for a moment? We have been able to "visit" more churches than imaginable. Thanks to modern technology, we could worship in the comforts of our home on any day of the week! There has been no dress code, eating was encouraged, and snugly blankets were required. It has been WONDERFUL!
My work hours have been adjusted quite a bit. The number of patients I see has been reduced and I am working from home some days. Although I miss serving the women in our community, this time has been such a personal blessing. I have been able to catch up around the office and cross things off my to-do list at a steady pace. Had we not been forced to slow down, I would likely still be feeling as if I were in a constant state of catch-up.
You see the conundrum. On one hand I am grieving with those who have been negatively impacted. On the other hand, I am thankful for the personal blessings that have come from this pandemic. Although these have been some very traumatic times for many, I pray that other families have been able to experience the silver lining to this dark cloud in American history.
It's true...what we are experiencing has been traumatic for countless individuals and their families. In my family alone, my children have been deeply affected. My daughter, a sophomore in college, had to cut her semester short to come home to complete her courses. Bless her heart, trying to take 5 classes that were never meant to be online, with the never-ending background noise coming from her siblings, has been tough. That doesn't even take into account the fact that she had to leave her friends and the place she calls "home" without a proper goodbye.
My oldest son saw his senior year abruptly come to an end. His varsity soccer season was cut short; they were undefeated and likely moving toward the championship. My boy missed out on prom, senior skip day, senior field day, and all senior trips that were being planned. As if those disappointments weren't enough, he also had to grind out 5 AP classes online. At one point, even the dream of a high school graduation ceremony looked bleak.
Christian seemed to handle it fairly well. He was, of course, disappointed to not be able to workout with his buddies or go to football practices. However, the greatest blow for him came in the form of a driving permit...that great milestone would have to wait.
My not-so-littles missed out on their fifth-grade graduation ceremony, field day, yearbook signing, and saying goodbye to their closest friends and teachers. Online learning was a challenge as we all had to learn various platforms and go through the tedious trial and error process. It was not always pretty in the Roy household, but we managed. Perhaps the most devastating realization of all for these girls was...no more gymnastics for a while.
Yes. We will read many stories highlighting the personal impact stemming from the overwhelming events of this great pandemic. While the realities of this situation have, in many cases, been grim, there is a wonderful gift to this story that may be overlooked...the gift of time.
We have all been granted the most precious gift of time. Before this, I could not tell you the last time we put a puzzle together or the last time we had a 3-hour Monopoly battle. Workouts became more creative. Walking the dogs became a daily thing. We colored with chalk, dyed our hair, played dozens of board games, and had outdoor movie nights. I was gifted with more lengthy conversations with my big kids than I can count. These moments have warmed my heart and blessed my spirits on a daily basis. Speaking of blessings, can we talk about church for a moment? We have been able to "visit" more churches than imaginable. Thanks to modern technology, we could worship in the comforts of our home on any day of the week! There has been no dress code, eating was encouraged, and snugly blankets were required. It has been WONDERFUL!
My work hours have been adjusted quite a bit. The number of patients I see has been reduced and I am working from home some days. Although I miss serving the women in our community, this time has been such a personal blessing. I have been able to catch up around the office and cross things off my to-do list at a steady pace. Had we not been forced to slow down, I would likely still be feeling as if I were in a constant state of catch-up.
You see the conundrum. On one hand I am grieving with those who have been negatively impacted. On the other hand, I am thankful for the personal blessings that have come from this pandemic. Although these have been some very traumatic times for many, I pray that other families have been able to experience the silver lining to this dark cloud in American history.
