That’s what I’ve often found myself saying in my head while I’m sitting on a work conference call with the door shut trying to drown out the sound of my toddler screaming in the background because he doesn’t want to watch THAT episode of Sesame Street.
The Coronavirus pandemic has effected, to some degree, every single person in this country. Most people have been forced into new, different, challenging ways of life. What does that look like for me? Me and my husband working full time from home, taking our toddler out of daycare and virtual learning for our 7th grader. Balancing work, home life, entertaining a toddler all day and managing a preteen through virtual school is whole mess most days. Often, my initial thoughts upon waking up in the morning are “Lord, I am really thankful for my job and the health of my family, but I am tired! And this is not sustainable.”
I’ve often felt alone in my struggles, despite the reality that there are so many others in similar situations. I’ve fought feelings of guilt because of my decision to take my toddler out of daycare, when we as parents are simply doing what we feel is best for our family. I’ve been frustrated with balancing work and home life. I’m often exhausted and struggle to focus once I do have an extended period of time to work. And this virtual learning situation? Lord, help us!
I say all this to say – this shit is HARD and not sustainable. And on top of that, it’s just not “normal.” Being forced to make dramatic lifestyle adjustments has its challenges, to say the very least, so if you’re like me – feeling guilt, frustration and exhaustion – know that you are not alone. Trust yourself, give yourself grace and focus on the future. Visualize and focus your energy on who and where you want to be when we get to the other side of this. In the mean time, keep getting up everyday, getting shit done and making shit happen the best you can. And that’s more than enough.
