Making Lemonade

Distance learning in a time of coronavirus is officially over. My children and I have survived the work and each other, and now we’re on to sunny days and freedom (ish). In the end, it worked out surprisingly well for our family. My son, who’s task-oriented, did well working through his daily checklist. At the same time, my free-spirited preschooler was able to incorporate learning throughout the day as opportunities naturally arose. Our daughter even practiced her trunk and head control by watching her preschool teachers read books. It’s not how I imagined ending a school year. I’d have assumed that the only way I’d be teaching my kids from home would be if the building burned down. But here we are, in a hard place few people could have predicted. 2020 certainly seems to be handing out a bunch of lemons.

But as they say, when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. And you know what goes great with lemonade, summertime. My main goal this summer is to enjoy it. It seems simple, but for those of us prone to worry, overthink, and plan too far ahead, enjoying the moment can be difficult. Avoiding worry is especially important this week while social media is abuzz about CDC guidelines for schools, and parents and teachers wondering how we move forward. But I’ve determined that is Future Lauren’s problem. Two and a half months from now, she’ll be armed with more information, and with God, she’ll make the decision that works for her family and the complex needs of four kids and four adults. What my family needs from me today isn’t to have all of our education decisions made; they need a mom who is present and at peace.

So Present Lauren is going for a walk in the sunlight and will marvel at my amazing view of Pike’s Peak while getting slightly sunburned. I’ll take my boys to Sonic and sit in the van snacking on corn dogs and taters tots and sipping ice-cold vanilla coke, sweet and burning with carbonation. My husband will barbecue in the backyard, and I’ll savor the taste of charcoal-grilled hamburgers. The kids will scribble across our driveway with brightly colored chalk marking the space with Ninja Turtles while I add flowers and encouraging phrases. I’ll read the Bible in my favorite chair as the sun streams through my window and illuminates the world, rising earlier and earlier as these summer days get longer. We’ll play inside and outside, we’ll drive each other a bit crazy, and we’ll spend more days together as a family than we’ve ever had. I’ll make lemonade with whatever lemons I’ve got, and pour heaps of sugar in there because I like it sweet.

God has got this handled, he’ll let Future Lauren know what she needs to know when she needs to know it. What I need today is to rest, to stop worrying, to prop up my feet as I rock on my porch swing, to feel the warmth of the sun and a breeze on my face, and to sip on this lemonade, a little bit sour, but as sweet as I choose to make it.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:33-34