I need to praise you

May 2020

I N E E D // to take a minute to praise you.

To all the darling kids, you’ve defied all odds. From the moment this isolation began you stepped up and embraced the change that was thrown at you with no warning, no welcome. In a matter of days, your constant, your safety net, your normal was ripped out from under you. You lost your routine, you lost your friends, you lost your networks, you lost your freedom. You lost it all, yet you continued to smile. You showed us all what it meant to see the silver linings.

To all the darling kids, you were graceful in the face of the unknown. Long days at home meant you were quietly and subconsciously taking in all the chaos and worry that surrounded you. Parents muttering words of fear when they thought you weren’t listening, the background noise of the news spouting alarming statistics and horrifying hyperbole, the constant stream of words like pandemic, lockdown, stay inside and death. You heard it all, no matter how hard we tried to shield you. You heard it all and yet you continued to smile. You showed us all what it meant to accept the things you cannot change.

To all the darling kids, you’ve surprised us all with the way you’ve handled the shit storm that has been our life for the last 2 months. You’ve been strong, resilient and understanding in the face of enormous change. Learning from home, not visiting your grandparents, hardly leaving the house and living in your siblings pockets are all occasions that would warrant tantrums, breakdowns and attitude. But, of course, amidst it all you continued to smile. You showed us all what it meant to man up and soldier on.

I need to take a minute to praise the shit out of you, because you my kids, have been unbelievable. You’ve been the heart beat, the rhythm, the sanity and the saving grace of this whole fiasco. All because you continued to smile.