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erin

erin

I'm Erin Jo. I'm thinking, writing, dreaming, mothering, loving, living, praising, BLESSED to be Fiona to my Shrek and Mommy to my four amazing kiddos.

dave

dave

Shrek is "like an onion with many layers" but has a heart of gold. He's my husband and my friend, and we just get better all the time.

lily

lily

Lily is my first baby and only girl. She's smart, funny, tall and kind. Keeping up with this girl is a challenge and a joy. She's terrific!

max

max

Max is one part ogre, two parts lover and all boy! Our little man has a temper but gives the best hugs of anyone I know!

colby

colby

Colby is as ornery as he looks. He flirts shamelessly, even with strangers. He's all mouth and curls and the loudest by far.

luke

luke

Luke is the baby of the family, but holds his own. He's happy and adorable. And he's a terrible sleeper. =)

The Family Happy Hour

So this is the best thing that happened to me today: my brilliant cousin in Denver suggested we hold a Family Happy Hour tonight, and, in the span of two hours, 48 different family members logged on and shared their faces, their jokes and their situations. (And, also, their pets.) What a blessing!

I thought about this blog post a lot today. It had several different themes and titles: Break Down, New Normal, Shelter-in-Place…..

And those were all going to pretty much convey my not-so-great mental state today with a side of optimism. But, instead, we get to call this post Family Happy Hour, and I come to you from a true place of hope, of gratitude, of a happy hour well done!

As I’ve said, this experience we’re in is unprecedented. And, nationally, we’re in it together.

I’ve been working hard on understanding that this might not be the three weeks I originally thought, but maybe more like six to eight weeks of hunkering down, holding the bubble, putting life on hold.

We’re all going to have to find new normals. It’s tough, but maybe a bit like the gardening I did yesterday: if I weed correctly and from the root in the spring, I might just have an easier time of it in the summer. That’s exactly my thought as I weeded, and I realized it applied to the social distancing we’re all being asked to do now. If we do it right, it might just save our summer. We might just get to see that ocean, share that campfire and host those pool parties.

So tonight, I celebrate my extended family, the promise of a better day and the resilience we all have as Americans. While I have long since survived this life without my grandparents, I adore that generation, the strength of their shoulders and the wisdom and fortitude they can share.

We know that there have been cases of and deaths from COVID-19 in the younger generations, but we know, too, that this virus is hardest on our senior citizens. So our grandparents were called to war, and here we are, called to stay on the couch, in the house, to protect them.

That’s what it really all boils down to, and I know we can do it.

In this house, this week, we actually prayed the Rosary together as a family (a first,) we helped each other with homework, we started what we hope to be pen pal relationships for the duration of the suspended school year and we played in the mud and in the rain.

We’re getting through this. And I know you will too.

Just be sure to use the modern technology we have today to reach out to those you love. Schedule that video conference with your family or your friends. Hold your bubble, but expand it when you can. Find your new normal. Call a friend. And, for pete’s sake, figure out a way to celebrate a weekend Happy Hour. You’ll thank me later.

One Response

  1. Patti says:

    A great blog of a great event. It was awesome to see and talk to everyone . Remember to reach out to those you love , stay in touch and it will boost everyone’s mood!

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