MOP TOP

Cate has had short hair for as long as I can remember - at least since kindergarten. That is why it has been so interesting to see her grow it out during the pandemic.

Here is a shot from this weekend of my little mop top! Love her!

MODEL UN

Most activities have disappeared for kids during COVID. However, Nicholas has still been able to participate in Model UN, which is a diplomatic simulation of the real UN. In fact, this weekend, Nicholas has been consumed with a virtual tournament focused on illegal manufacturing of counterfeit drugs and human trafficking. Pretty serious stuff for high schoolers.

Though we do not yet know the outcome since the competition has not concluded, I know that Nicholas will bring a fair and balanced point of view to the proceedings. He has an empathy gene that runs deep and always tries to see the other's perspective. I could learn a lot from the kid!

I look forward to seeing Nicholas continue to grow and develop and make a positive impact. Watch out world!

THE DEPTHS

The past 12 months have tested all of us in unimaginable ways. Change and disaster have been our near constant companions as we have tried to ride out the tsunami that seems to perpetually hit us day in and day out. All of this got my thinking about how much can a human being really take?

This was brought into bright relief after one of my best friends went through what she described as the worst three weeks of her life recently. First, she lost her mom to a confluence of chronic medical conditions. Next, her daughter was diagnosed with COVID after picking it up from my a family friend with whom they were sharing a pod. Finally, Texas was hit with the worst weather in a generation that led to widespread power losses, water losses, and displacement, including of my friend to the home of the family from whom her quarantining daughter had contracted COVID. You cannot make this up. 

I was expecting my friend to be beaten down, shaken, and she did seem quite weary when we spoke. However, we were also able to laugh and make light of the fact that there seems to be no depth of misery to which we cannot sink. However, trauma and adversity do not always break us. Sometime, we are stronger than we knew, and this is one of those times.

I have said that there is no longer such a thing as kryptonite to bring us to our knees. I know that has not always been true, and I also know that this last year has helped us to develop the kind of preservation instincts that keep us from falling further into despair. I hope we can remember these lessons when things return closer to normal and we are faced with adversity. If we do, then the heights of our lives will be far higher than we ever could have imagined.

Breathe!