Extended Family Time

By Shellie Miler-Farrugia

Unlike any other time in my personal history, social distancing is the buzzword today. So many people are concerned about themselves, their families, and their friends and associates in the community. If my grandmother, Irene, was still alive today, she would probably be content living in quarantine. Her joys were gardening, cooking, reading her Bible, and doing crochet.

Thoughts of Irene fill my head whenever I’m ready to complain about our current situation. My friends with young children are frustrated and a bit taken aback at the state of our lives currently. What I want to share with them is that enjoying your children while they are still at home is the reward, though it may seem rather overwhelming. I mean, we are worrying about our jobs, paying the bills, avoiding disease, and enjoying our lives.

Instead of listing all the cons about the current state of affairs, let’s talk about the pros! There are many!

1. We are eating healthy meals at home.
2. It’s a great time to start growing flowers and beautify your garden.
3. We can play games, put together puzzles, and have fun outside.
4. My children can teach me their favorite video games, that might contain a script for arsenal! I’ve got a little time on my hands.
5. Everyone can help with housekeeping.
6. We can virtually tour museums, art galleries, and see amazing places and things we’ve only dreamed about online.
7. Many prestigious universities are giving
FREE online access for us to audit their classes.

With Grandma on my mind, I realize that this close knit time with family is the perfect opportunity to teach them life lessons about things school hasn’t been. Budgeting, balancing a checkbook, writing thank you notes, planning a grocery list, scheduling an oil change, and properly operating a vacuum are all skills I learned from my parents and grandmother.

Instead of lamenting the state of affairs we are all dealing with, let’s encourage each other and our children. Let’s FaceTime or Skype friends and relatives who aren’t currently spending time in our space. Definitely reach out via telephone to check on neighbors and friends who are alone. Let the kids be part of every interaction so that they will continue to care about others once we get back to our normal rhythm.

“I lived in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in maturity.”
– Albert Einstein

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