When we look back at March 2020 "when the world fell apart," we want to remember how we tried to find hope and fun in every day amidst all the chaos and anxiety. As the quote says, "Not all days are good, but there is good in each day." Though our hearts hurt for a world suffering our hearts are filled with gratitude as we reflect on our blessings, all the amazing people serving others in our world, and a strong hope for the future. We will look back and laugh at those first zoom meetings with our family and the zoom game nights. We will treasure Jefferson's sweet prayers about helping all the sick people. And we will smile when we remember 5 year old Jefferson saying "does everything die in the winter?" Mama replied (referring to plants we were pulling out) "Yes" to which Jefferson responded "but not people." And we will smile when we remember 21 month old Carter trying to play musical chairs by himself, his vocabulary expanding to include the now famous Goggy (his favorite monkey stuffed animal), and the phrase "money money money," to which Dada replied "the bug's got money on his mind." We will also remember how grateful we are to live where we do with a big empty field across the street where we can run around and play soccer (which Carter appears to be a natural- surprising all genetic probability), frisby, fly kites, and the favorite lately- roll down the hill. We will remember Jefferson's first homemade aquarium, Carter devouring beans, meeting Aunt Becky's goats, celebrating Pie Day and St. Patricks day with leprechaun gold treasure hunts and green eggs and ham, those first family bike rides, Sunday escapes to the mountains, decorating the Easter tree, and making Grandma roses for her birthday. We will remember the time of social distancing as a time we all grew closer together.
