From “How do I?” to “I am thankful.”

Since this pandemic began, the question that I keep pondering is “How Do I?”

How Do I fully explain to my 4- and 6-year-old daughters why they can’t go to school to see their friends and why mommy is their teacher now?

How Do I reassure my nephew and my Salem Voice Club seniors that even though they are missing out on their prom, graduation and the last few months with their friends they do have something to celebrate.

How Do I keep my household safe knowing that my husband is exposed to this virus daily, as he heads off to work, because his job considers him an “essential” worker.

How Do I maintain my own sanity and keep my stress levels low knowing that this is something I cannot control and may be our new normal?

With every “How Do I” question I have to force myself to remember the things for which I am thankful.

I am thankful for my employment with MTCI because during this time from the office, not only am I still employed but I am learning new skills with Zoom and Kahoot that allows me to still interact with my students and coworkers.

I am thankful that I can be my children’s teacher and be able to spend quality time teaching them our family values and helping them reach their full potential.

I am thankful my husband is still in good health and is able to provide for our family. I am thankful that even though my family cannot visit our church physically, we can still worship with them virtually keeping the faith that our God is in control.

Most of all I am thankful to wake up to see another day because so many people are losing their lives. One thing I am learning from my COVID-19 experience is that for every “How Do I” I must find a way to focus on the I Am Thankful.Dana Landy, SRAS Relationship Educator