I mark the beginning of quarantine and our world turning upside down as March 16th. I am a teacher, so it was the first official day of our spring break. I knew going into spring break that we may not return to school for a while, and all of the what-ifs and scenarios were running through my head. March 16th is also my birthday, and it was the first birthday I have ever spent without friends and extended family. Instead, I spent it with my two sons and husband. We ordered takeout and had family time together. It was very different but peaceful at the same time.
Thankfully, my husband’s job has remained intact through all of this, and he has continued to go into work like normal. My two kids and I have held down the fort at our house and found our new normal with me continuing to teach online while also helping them do school from home. There has been lots of tears, but there has also been special memories made.
If I have realized ONE thing during quarantine, it’s that my most important job is being my kids’ mom. Everything I do influences them, and it’s my job to lead by example. Am I perfect? Absolutely not. Do I get through the day with lots of coffee and a glass of wine most evenings? YES. Do I love looking at sarcastic memes about the highs and lows of being a mom in this time? Absolutely. Do my kids drive me up a wall sometimes? Yes! Is working from home with them 24/7 challenging? For sure.
If anything has been a gift during this pandemic though, it’s been the ability to pause and remember the influence I have on them and the type of men I hope they grow up to be. I hope they love God, I hope they treat everyone with respect and kindness always, and I hope they stand up for their friends and what they believe in. I hope they never stop being curious and inquisitive, I hope they take risks, I hope they always remember the value of family and close friends. I hope they see the deep love their dad and I share and carry that love into their own relationships some day. And I hope they continue on the memories and traditions my husband and I have tried to build for them. My sons are a gift, and I hope I always remember to treat them like the treasures they are.
As life starts to go back to some sense of normalcy, I hope I never forget that my first and most important job is being the best mom I can to my boys.
