“We’re going to take a family “porch-rait” Saturday morning,” I inform my husband.
“A what?”
“A family ‘PORCH-rait,’” – I repeat, giggling.
“And why are we doing this?”
“To document this moment in time! Obviously!”
To be honest, I hadn’t really thought about why I wanted to take this picture. Our photographer friend was running a promotion and offering these sessions as a way to life up spirits and raise money for FamilyAid Boston, so I wanted to support her and, of course, help a non-profit organization with a noble cause.
A few days later we received the pictures and as I looked at them I couldn’t help but think – were these smiling faces an actual reflection of this period of time? Surely not during this global pandemic? Or could they be?
Don’t get me wrong, the first couple of weeks at our house were pure mayhem as my husband and I transitioned to 100% working from home. We had no idea when or whether the schools were going to re-open. The teachers were learning new technologies and all the learning was ad hoc, with no structured schedule. The market was on a downward spiral. I think you get the gist.
But in the last couple of weeks, I have noticed a change - a calmness if you will - now that we have come to expect this to be the way we are going to live our lives until September. We base this assumption on the fact that schools have shut down for the academic year and I highly doubt there will be camps, trips to the town pool, play dates, or family vacation this summer. This change in mindset, particularly no longer wondering when this is going to end, has allowed us to be present rather than struggling with the uncertainty of the future.
It has also permitted me to see some of the silver lining in all of this (and not the one growing on my head!)
- My husband (who typically travels weekly for work) has not been on a plane for 8 weeks. The boys are thrilled to spend all this extra time with their dad, who is usually out the door at 7 a.m. and sometimes misses dinner because of his travel schedule.
- Speaking of …. We have breakfast and dinner together every day (lunch is still a free for all between everyone’s Zoom meetings). In addition, we have also started a new Saturday morning tradition of making chocolate chip pancakes. Yum!
- I may or may not have fallen asleep once or twice with Christian during his nap.
- We have found new ways to celebrate birthdays and show up for each other. There isn’t a week that passes without a birthday parade and, while the boys are disappointed that they can’t get out of the car, they love all the commotion!
As we look ahead to days that will remain challenging, I would say, based on history, keep the HOPE. The Coronavirus death toll and the unprecedented economic collapse comes with lots of forecasts and statistics. However, human ingenuity, compassion and drive are beyond any economists’ ability to predict. This is what will get us through this time of trial. I recognize that it is unsatisfying to say that a better future awaits us when we don’t know exactly how or when we will get there, but we must not forget that it is true.
In the meantime, exhale. Let your shoulders do that thing where they stop holding tension. Challenge yourself to not watch the news for a day. Think about three things that you are grateful for. Try to make that a daily habit. Because the alternative can be debilitating.
Until next time, stay safe & healthy.
Sarin