Family Time

The fifth month of each year is full of celebrations for my family and me.  Counting family birthdays and Mother's Day, our family helps the economy in candles, wrapping paper, and funny hats alone.  While we join other Americans for a more subdued time of reflection and thankfulness on Memorial Day, the rest of May is filled with spirit, sugar, smiles, and song.

Since May is such a fun month for our family, the topic of family seems like an obvious one for today's blog.  So I chose the obvious.  

Family - God's idea for the closest connections among humans is a gift.  Like all gifts it can be (and is) treated either with respect, thankfulness, and care or with dishonor, ingratitude, and neglect.  Family is "worth the trouble" to cherish and develop.

COVID-19 has caused physical, financial, and emotional harm.  However, it has also brought many families closer together.  Yes, closer in that we have to be together as we "hunker down" but, hopefully, also closer in relational connection.  Parents have learned to "home school."  Children have learned to learn at home.  Siblings play games together.  Spouses, now working from home, eat lunch together and take breaks to catch up on lost time.  Even pets see their owners more.  

If given the choice, I would not choose coronavirus' existence.  However - minus all of the awful results - I would choose to see so many families reconnecting and reevaluating priorities.  When, by God's grace, we return to normal - whatever that is - I hope we will all embrace many of the changes we made by necessity, but then by choice.  Fewer hours will be spent at home, but home can remain a place of deeper connection.

Fewer Zoom meetings will occur, but I hope we will continue to connect more with those with whom we lost touch.  Wiser financial decisions can still remain.  More intentional "family time" can continue.  Let's hold onto the positive changes we have made.  We need not waste all that we have gained from this, thankfully, very unusual time.

#ordinarylives

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