Disappointment

Malia has been off-track, so today was her first real day of online learning. We had everything set up, all her logins ready to go, and knew what was expected of her so I assumed it would be smooth sailing. I was, however, much mistaken. Malia usually loves school, generally learns quickly and is usually one of the first in her class to complete assignments. But that girl was nowhere to be found this morning. Her first two assignments took her nearly four hours to get through and there were tears, stubbornness, refusal to follow directions, etc. It was the kind of response I usually get about cleaning her room, not school. At that point, Kevin, Malia and I had a bit of a Come to Jesus talk about the expectations associated with school at home. And then I looked at her tearstained face and asked what else was going on and she told me that doing her work at home means she can’t talk to her friends. I knew immediately that was the real problem.

The topic of our discussion shifted a bit at that point. We talked about disappointment and how this insane situation means all of us are feeling disappointed because we can’t do things we were looking forward to, things that are normal, etc. Nathan has had tours, festivals, concerts, and most likely a play cancelled. Matthew also has concerts that were cancelled, rehearsals that aren’t happening and a postponed musical. Symphony performances and outings are off and while some things may be rescheduled, I suspect others won’t. Everyone is cut off from friends and colleagues. And as for me, the general conference choir is officially cancelled. While that is in no way unexpected, it is still a disappointment. It is, however, tentatively rescheduled for October and if it happens, I’ll clear my schedule to make sure I can still participate.

Once we had that little pow wow, Malia was able to clear her mind and get back to work. I think things will get a little easier once she has settled into a routine. In fact, I think things will get a little easier for all of us once we can find our new normal. And although it may seem like it right now, this won’t last forever. Eventually it will pass, and we will be able to return to our normal lives. And I hope that with that return to normalcy will come a greater sense of appreciation, an increased amount of gratitude for the many blessings that our lives hold each and every day. Even on the most ordinary of days.