Ok, raise your hand if you quietly cried (or maybe loudly for all to hear) when you found out that we were not going back to school until May 4th.  (I am raising my hand; I quietly cried.)  Folks, this is like nothing were have ever experienced before!  And hopefully will never experience again.  Let's be honest-non-traditional instruction (NTI) is hard.  It's hard for the students.  It's hard for the parents.  It's hard for the teachers.  This is a difficult and trying situation for all parties involved, on many levels.  I have four kids at home, 13 to 21.  They each have said, "I hate this!"  "I want to go back to school!"  "I miss my friends!"  "I can't learn like this!"  However, this is the new norm.  We have had discussions about choosing to fuss and argue or try to make the best of this situation.  Throughout this time, I have been looking at various resources and listening to podcasts that could help in this situation.  The reality is that there are no resources that have said, "This is what you do during a pandemic that has closed schools and businesses."  There are no posts or studies that tell us what to expect as a result of social distancing, regarding child development.  So basically, we are writing history with each day that passes.  We are always writing history, but this is one that will be in history books and medical studies.   So what do we do?
      My friends, I only have suggestions for what we can do.  I can tell you what works for me and has seemed to help my family.  Sometimes these things work and sometimes they don't.  Some of these things I actually do.  Some of these things I try to do.  And some of these things I would like to try to do.  So here's some suggestions.
     *Find gratitude.   It is really hard to be pessimistic and depressed when you can be thankful for something.  One thing that I have been doing since the beginning of this school year is writing down three things I am grateful for, everyday.  I usually do this first thing in the morning, with a bible devotional.  It has really helped during this difficult time.  It's actually a real game changer!   Sometimes it is something very small, such as the smile I saw on a child's face.  Even with that, I am finding a positive which helps me stay  positive.  (I stumbled upon that little gem from a podcast I began listening to last summer.)
     *Limit the news intake.  I don't know about you guys, but my heart rate rises as I read or watch the  news.  In case you haven't noticed, news stations and websites always steer toward doom and gloom. What would things be like if each news broadcast started out with something positive, such as four people were released from the hospital because their symptoms improved so much that they no longer needed medical care from a hospital?  I have noticed that Facebook and Instagram have been quite uplifting lately, at least my feeds have been.  If someone is being negative, snooze them for 30 days.  We need positivity.  Not arguments.
    That brings me to the next point.  Grace, which can be defined as courteous goodwill.  We need to give ourselves grace and as well as grace for others.  There are some things that we are going to mess up.  That's ok.   We are all trying our best and sometimes that "best" falls short.  Learn from your mistakes and move on.  Another podcast that I have been listening to lately has talked about not just surviving right now, but living the best life we can right now.  Surviving is making it through the moment, the hour, the day.  There are times when we need to switch into that mode.  Hopefully, we are not all in that mode.  Let's ty to live the best life we can right now.  Do the best you can, be gracious and merciful.
     *Please don't compare yourself to your best pal who is "nailing" this NTI situation.  That landscape is going to look very different, home to home.  What may work for some, may not work for others-again "THAT'S OK."  If you work from home all day and can only do school work at night, then that's what you have to do.  If you are able to tackle work first hits in the morning, then go for it!  (One helpful hint from Dr. Charles Fay, creator of Love and Logic, is to give children choices regarding their work.  An example would be, "Would you rather star on your work in the next 30 minutes or the next 25 minutes?").  Figure out what works for you and go with it until it doesn't work anymore. Readjust and start again.
     *Invest in some self care.  Obviously, get a massage or a mani/pedi at the salon is not an option.  Having guys friends over to hide out in the man cave to watch the very few sporting events that are still going on is not an option.  But find that thing that helps you.  That could be taking a long hot bath or a good long run (the Green Belt is still open, as I type this).  It could be reading a book or five minutes locked in the bathroom, with some hidden cookies (as the commercial goes).  Take care or yourself, as best you can.
     *Just because you're home doesn't mean you should stay in your pj's all day and shower every third or fourth day.  It also doesn't mean that you have to dress to the nine's either, but find some comfortable clothes to change into in the mornings.  Do your hair, makeup or shave if you want to, but don't let it all go to the dogs just because you're not leaving the house.  Not doing my makeup every day is kind of refreshing!  (There is some of that gratitude!)
     Take care of your mental health.  This is a crazy time and emotions are all over the place.  That doesn't mean that you are clinically depressed or clinically anxious.  That means you're human.  People may be sad for all the events going on in the world.  People may be angry because of this drastic change in their lifestyle.  People may be grieving for the very same reason.  Life as we know it has ceased to exist.   There are people who can help.  Mental health professionals are still working very hard through Telehealth sessions.  There are hotlines available.  Here is a link to a mental health resource page on the Owensboro Catholic website.  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KealLWsepOuauAjFy5YiZgZqsClj2yye5oo-e6Z_Zb8/edit
      As always, please let me know if I can help in any way.  I can be reached through email: kim.bennett@owensborocatholic.org or through filling our a request form at this link  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdGkEeGfO7y-DO138HQHqRrmMClozyr9N6KZjK8Sj0yccjw9A/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1 or I can be messaged on the Seesaw app.  My prayers are with all of you as we make it through this crazy and trying time.