June 2020
Abigail Cukier

I always tell my kids to make the best of things. They know that when we find ourselves somewhere we don’t want to be or doing something we don’t want to do, they will hear me say those words. It’s what we’re trying to do these days.
We work, we do school, we go for walks, we play many, many board games and watch many, many movies. We try new recipes and shoot hoops and read books. But it’s not always easy.

Some days, I do the morning yoga, make the afternoon healthy snack plate, manage to get all my work done and fit in an afternoon game of mini sticks hockey. Other days, I am interrupted a million times as I try to write just one sentence, neglect lunch until after 2 pm and can’t find the sink under the dishes.

But we are lucky. My kids are happy and getting along. They are learning, playing and vacuuming (!). We are having a rest from a very hectic extracurricular schedule and are getting amazing amounts of time together. And while my kids miss their friends and teachers and sports, they don’t really dwell on it. 

But I ache for them. I think about the days my son missed with a  teacher he adores, the track and field meet where my daughter couldn’t run, the end of the year parties and their daily bike rides to school with friends. I am thinking about the fun summer outings we won’t get to take and the camp activities they will miss. 

These don’t even come close to the losses and hardships others are facing and as I said, I know how lucky we are. Last night, when I was feeling sad, I was interrupted by my kids’ voices calling me downstairs for a family game of mini sticks. And there was music. And my team won. 

I guess my kids sometimes listen to what I teach them. They really are making the best of things.