Desperately Seeking the Good

This last week, I was invited by The Mighty to share something positive that’s come out of sheltering in place. Instantly, I thought I knew just what I’d talk about. My garden. 

My garden has been my escape over the past few weeks. I had never had a successful garden until last year. And in staying true to my all-in attitude, I didn’t just plant a few things in my previously-mote-like garden bed. Nope, I did some research, learned about permaculture, and started taking the steps to turn my entire yard into a beautiful foodscape. We’re clearing out some grass and adding in more gardening space this year because, again, go big or go home, right? I won’t even tell you how many fruit and nut trees we have on our property, but I will say, it’s enough to qualify as a small orchard.

So yeah, my outlet and my serenity have been my garden. But the more I thought about it, the less I thought it fit the description of what The Mighty was asking for. My garden isn’t something good that’s just come out of quarantining–it’s something I would be doing anyway. 

Realizing this sent me on a quest through my recent memory to find something worthy of a thirty second video. And let me tell you, it was not easy. Well, not at first. I thought back on everything that’s happened in the last month. We have a decent sized house, but being crammed in this space together for so long has taken its toll. Boys are messy. Really messy. And they punch each other a lot. And like to fight about everything. But amid the chaos of business as usual in our house, there have been some wonderful moments. A lot of those have come while working in the garden with my brood. But there have also been some that came out of the most mundane things. 

We decorated sugar cookie ninjas. We’ve created art. We’ve played games, and we’ve told stories, and we’ve laughed. We’ve watched movies together and discussed some serious issues. We’ve had church at home. We’ve had piano lessons and karate class over the computer. We’ve had to be creative in the things we do and how we spend our time. And amid the driveway murals, the Peep houses, and comic-making, we’ve found joy. And peace. 

You’re probably wondering what moment I chose to share with The Mighty. Well, it wasn’t one of those I just listed. No, my Mighty Moment came last weekend when we finally took the training wheels off of the twins’ bikes and let them give two-wheeled riding a try. As you might guess, having two kids hitting every milestone together can be a little tough at times when you have to try to be two places at once. The boys took to their bikes amazingly fast—I remember it taking me a whole lot longer to figure out how to balance on two wheels. At any rate, my more vocal twin caught on a little faster than his brother. As I’m bent over helping the one who just fell off of his bike, I see this blue blur go speeding past me. Trying to figure out which one of the big boys broke the rule and was zooming through the twins-only zone, I looked up just in time to catch the huge smile on my son’s face and he sped across the road in a blaze of perfect-posture bike riding glory, yelling “This is how you do it, suckas!” 

I was totally proud, but couldn’t help but look around at the other houses on the street and pray none of the neighbors were outside to hear my son’s exclamation of pride as he rode his bike for the first time. Total facepalm moment. But hey, at least we’re staying entertained, right?

Whatever your situation right now, hang in there. We will make it through this time. And if you need help, please ask for it. I know there’s a lot of people out there aching right now for a myriad of reasons, but I promise you that if you look for the good, you’ll find it. It’s in that amazing friend handmaking masks for your entire family and dropping them off on your doorstep along with tons of activities to keep your kids busy. It’s in the phone call with a loved one you haven’t spoken to in a while. And it’s in those extra kisses and snuggles we get to enjoy during all of this extra time with our babies, human or fur. If you look for the positive, you’ll suddenly realize that even amid the worst situations, there is good. And there is always something to be grateful for.