covid – Elena Delhagen

All across the world nations are beginning to shut down and shelter in place again as the pandemic ravages the globe. There have been over a million deaths, and that number is still climbing. And many of us are scared, and we are weary, and we think about our children and our grandparents and those that we love who are sick, and everything weighs so very heavy on our shoulders, doesn’t it?

This week may we see kindness in a masked stranger’s eyes as we lock gazes. May we feel some sort of comfort in the knowledge that we are not alone in our fear, in our anxieties, in the way it all just feels too much some days. May we be quick to swallow our pride and say “you first” and not “me first” as we don our face masks and keep a safe distance. May we know the unique blessing of learning to do a thing in a new way and remember that it is a gift to get second chances, and may we hold our traditions and the manner in which we’ve always done things loosely in our hands. May we take care of each other in unexpected ways, and may we count our blessings not just at the holiday table. May we remember those who are unhoused and those who are sick and those without food or family. May we recognize that we have more than enough.

This week, as everything feels fragile and death looms around us, may we choose the things that give us life. May we bless the teachers, and the doctors, and the nurses, and the cashiers, and those who care for our elderly. May we be sure to take care of ourselves just as much as we do our loved ones, making sure to eat good food and get enough rest, to find ways to laugh, to allow times for tears.

When everything feels fragile, may we remember that we are the ones holding each other up; may we feel strong as our neighbors help us lift our weary hands, much as Hur and Aaron did for Moses, our desert father. May we feel comforted by the knowledge this is a season and not our forever, and though we don’t know how long the season will last, we are weathering it together.

Above all, may we know that we are loved this week. You are loved this week, friends. This week, and every week.

I shared a post on my Facebook page yesterday that seemed to resonate with a lot of my friends who are at different stages of the motherhood journey.
Moms of one, moms of multiples, single moms, stay-at-home moms, work-from-home moms, moms-who-just-lost-their-job, expecting moms, moms finishing their degrees, moms who have dropped out of school, homeschooling moms…we’re all kind of part of a huge Venn Diagram that’s circling the Struggle Bus, no matter what season of life we’re in.

I don’t know about you guys, but motherhood has been HARD lately. Parenting during a pandemic is the most difficult thing I was never prepared for. I’m pretty sure they didn’t have a chapter in What to Expect When You’re Expecting about juggling childcare for two kids, work, seminary, remote learning and homework, all in the midst of a global healthcare nightmare.

We moms, we want what’s best for our kids, but lately it seems like there are just no good options. Send them to school or keep them home? Keep working or resign? Are they socializing enough? Are they depressed? We want to help them, but we’re traveling uncharted waters here, and right now, we’re trying to keep the whole ship afloat before we can go check on the passengers.

First I want to say: I see you, mama. I see you, and I know how hard you’re fighting. I know the exhaustion, the tears you cry when no one else is around, the worn-thin patience, the worries that keep you up at night. I see you trying to decide what’s for dinner, how you stay up late to meet deadlines, how you count down the hours until bedtime. I see how you muster up the energy to keep the house clean, and the laundry done, and lunches packed, and how you try to keep some sort of semblance of routine. You are not alone.

I also want to tell you about Leslie, new, sweet friend who I recently met; you can find her on Instagram here. She’s a mom, too, and she has created a wonderful little tool that’s she launching this weekend (!!!) to help moms feel encouraged and a little bit less alone. Because this whole motherhood thing? Yeah, it is hard work, but I’ve also found that hard work is often good work, holy work, and there’s something to be said for doing it anyway.

So I hope you take a minute today to follow Leslie so you can see what she’s up to. (You can also follow me on IG because I’m on her launch team and will be sharing, too!) And I hope you find a moment to breathe deep, breathe big, and remember that you have a whole bunch of us mamas in your corner, cheering you on.