Did I wipe down the cart right, is my mask really helping?

Should I let my groceries sit in the garage longer, shower when I get home?

Are my kids at enough of a distance from neighbors, am I?

Am I doing enough? Am I doing too much?

Did we get all my kid’s assignments in, does it even really matter?

Is it OK grandpa helped watch one of my kids while I schooled the other two?

Are people practicing extracurriculars (soccer, dance, etc.) at home – should I be?

Am I doing enough? Am I doing too much?

This is so dang hard, you guys. So dang hard.

I wake up each morning uncertain I am doing everything right – trying to do the healthiest, the safest, things for my family but feeling like I’m falling behind.

I – nor anyone else, for that matter – have no idea what the heck is the right way to handle this.

I think about people on the front lines often and amazed by the sacrifices they’re making. My daughters wrote letters to some of them recently to thank them for their service.

To all the firefighters quarantining away from their family at home,
To all the pregnant doctors and nurses scared for the safety of their child,
To all the teachers trying to manage online learning amidst babies in the bouncer seats and tantruming toddlers,

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU.

I think about parents both trying to work full-time jobs on top of this homeschooling saga and feel guilty even bringing how I’m struggling to handle this to the table.

But you guys, this is hard for everyone. And everyone else’s hard doesn’t make yours any less hard.

To the family taking on school-from-home frustrated over the amount of worksheets and zoom calls and needless work assigned,
To parents longing for some peace and quiet,
To anyone sad over canceled trips, seasons, and summer camps,

I see you. I hear you. I’m right there with you.

Let’s recognize when we’re maxed out

I go to bed praying my grandparents are OK in their assisted living homes; that our family, our marriage, will come out stronger on the other side.

I watch my girls dance around, I sadly wonder if her recital and the other’s first communion will get rescheduled or be indefinitely postponed.

I hear school may continue to be from home next fall and the mere thought makes me want to run to the hills.

My three-year-old’s birthday was last Tuesday, my husband’s birthday fell the next day. On Thursday, I picked up curbside groceries, chatted with home insurance and car lease renewal people all morning, and was running on caffeine fumes.

When my daughter asked when we were starting school at 11:15, I honestly wanted to hide in the closet.

I know we’ve all had those overwhelmed moments as we try to sift through this unexpected quarantine, but that day I recognized I was maxed out and decided to stop comparing my hard to the rockstar homeschooling parents and give myself a dang break.

They watched TV, I cleaned up the party mess, we all took naps, and we played outside. It was glorious you guys and, in the end, we caught up on all their schoolwork on Friday.

There’s no cookie cutter way to handle this

Am I doing enough? Am I doing too much?

Are you asking these questions too?

I handled my quarantine day 41 overwhelm by taking the day off. Today I (and you) may handle it very differently, but the important thing is we don’t let the overwhelm win – that we listen to our body, our sanity, when it’s maxed out and do what we need to do to take care of ourselves.

This is hard for everyone. If you’re tired, take a nap. If you’re hungry, eat. If you’re lonely, zoom call a friend. If you need some time to yourself, have your spouse or Netflix take the kids for a bit.

There is no cookie cutter way to get through this, friends.

We are each handling this quarantine in our own way. Maybe the sooner we stop comparing how everyone else is handling it to how we are the better. Click To Tweet

However you’re handling this, take care of yourself. Take care of your family. One day at a time, let’s do the next right thing – whatever that looks like – for yourself and for those you love.

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As we enter into another week of quarantine, know I’m praying for you and know what you’re doing right now is more than enough. 🙂