Sometimes I wonder if all of this staying home and having time with our families is actually a true blessing. I certainly wouldn’t wish any illness, chronic or acute, pandemic or not on any one person, let alone thousands. I am an optimist and know this will end. I do not know when, but it will and we will come through this stronger as a people and a nation. But what I am really hopeful for is that the family unit becomes strong also! I am truly thankful for this time with my family. There are four of us and for the first time in a very long time, we are not dealing with the hustle and bustle of jobs, school, sports, activities, meetings, etc… Of course my husband and I are working from home, my college kid is doing his classes via zoom and the high school kid has spent time coloring in her adult coloring book, reading and working out, but we eat lunch together, dinner together and play games. We each have a distinctly different personality, but spending time away from all the other distractions has been absolutely wonderful. Watching my two teenagers interact with each other, horsing around and making fun of us as parents, has been entertaining to say the least. I am so happy I am getting this time with my husband and children, its comforting. I know it won’t last, but I will soak up every moment that we are together. As parents you know that saying “day to day time goes so slow, but the years go by so fast.” Take the time to watch the nuances of family interaction, the thoughtfulness of each other and remember that in times of strife, you have each other to hold onto. I am sure the hustle and bustle will return, but maybe this time around, we push some of that aside to remember what is truly valuable in this world.