It's All a Matter of Perspective

I received an email about a hypothetical 2030 conversation in which an 18-year-old college student asks the parent what it was like during the corona virus pandemic of 2020.

The parent explains that everything was shut down to kill the virus, which lasted longer than expected because people refused to quarantine; grocery stores were bare because of hoarding; people, unable to work, were afraid of personal and national economic failure.

When asked what the college kid remembers, the reply was, “All I remember was the school closing and being homeschooled … doing scavenger hunts in our yard … eating meals as a family for a change … getting great sleep because I wasn’t up late for homework or up early for school … board games as a family … watching our pastor on our laptop. Honestly, it was the happiest time of my childhood.”

Although it is difficult to realize when you are in the midst of challenging times, in retrospect, there is usually a silver lining to be found. With three preschoolers, including a seven-month-old, I was hospitalized for five weeks with pneumonia. As hard as those three months were, it was a wake-up call for us. Gene realized “mental toughness” couldn’t make me superhuman, that I could not care for my children and provide meals and accommodation for all the out-of-town hunting buddies he paraded through the house 24/7 during hunting season. He learned a father can—and should—be involved in raising his children. I learned I couldn’t do everything, and to say, “enough is enough.” We both learned to appreciate each other more.

For five and half years, I commuted between Milledgeville, where we lived, to Macon where the girls attended school, and to Emory in Atlanta where Marion went each week, summer and winter, for learning disability remediation. (In those years, I drove 1,500 miles/week and wore out two and a half cars.) During the hour-long trip home each afternoon, we had better communication opportunities than afforded most families; it gave us time to really talk and bond as a family. Although all very different, our three girls developed a closeness that continues today.

So, during this crisis, put things in perspective and look for silver linings. There are so many opportunities for us to be building memories.

Look for the Silver Lining

by Chet Baker

Look for the silver lining whenever a cloud appears in the blue.

Remember, the sun is shining. and so the right thing to do is make it shine for you.

A heart full of joy and gladness will always banish sadness and strife.

So always look for the silver lining and try to find the sunny side of life.