Some thoughts I’m having about life (long random thoughts)

Cameron sent me a picture this week. It was the “first day of his last semester at KSU” photo.  The boy loves his mom, and knows of my desire to hear from him some.   Covid has taken quite a chunk out of his college career.  A career at a university he has wanted to attend since he was 3-4 years old and Jim took him to his first games there.  The thing I am thinking though, is that Cameron, although I’m sure he doesn’t love Covid protocol, has just accepted it as necessary and made the best of it.  He has decided to finish, and has done so with good grades, while doing fun stuff, and being careful.   I’m very proud of him.  I know it’s  probably not how he pictured his college years would be.

I am currently camping out in the living room, listening to the sounds of my girls in “quarantine” giggling at some videos they are watching.  And I am overwhelmed with thankfulness.  Thankful for the Covid shots, which means that although they caught Covid despite being “jabbed” they are upright, watching videos and laughing, not super sick.  I am so thankful for that.  Today I heard them having an argument - Harper told Saige she was tired of her.  Saige stayed calm, and  just said “fine!  get out of my room then!”  To which Harper retorted “but my room is soooo messy!”   They sometimes crack me up.  I can’t tell how many times a day they make me laugh.  Harper did clean up her room some, without being told she had to.  A quarantine win for me.  My husband is in the back, watching Rockford for the 1005th time. He is texting me random jokes and seems happy to feel better.  I am thankful for that too.   Since the beginning of the pandemic, I have worried about him. He has a few health conditions that we mitigate with medications. I worried that Covid would be hard on him.  It has been, but he is going to be ok.  And I’m glad.  

I am still worried about Evelyn, because she is too little to get vaccinated.  I am still worried about Preston, because he has asthma.  But I’m choosing to put my faith in God and focus on the things I can do something about.  Preston came home from work, gobbled down more sub sandwiches than any kid should be able to, and told me he had to write a paper that was due at 11:59.    “But don’t worry mom,  it only has to be 400-500 words and I already have 80 done!”   Oh and by the way, he didn’t know who Meatloaf was, so despite his need to work on a paper, I had to force him to listen to “Paradise by the Dashboard Lights.”   When it was over he told me I am such a boomer.  (Being a boomer is the worst insult there is).  I feel that the fact he didn’t know the song is a reflection of our failure as parents.  He now knows that the rest of his junior year of high school, and his senior year will be dedicated to his musical education.  After all, we cannot possibly send him off to college without him knowing who Meatloaf was.  

Today I read an article about things that the pandemic has changed in American life.  Some of it amused me because it definitely didn’t change for me.  One point was flying - saying people are more cautious about flying.  Ummmm I have always avoided flying.  They also mentioned being cautious in crowds.  Also something I have tried to avoid all my life.  I have been known to drive to town, see a parking lot filled with cars, and keep on driving.  I hate crowds.   The thing I have noticed that has changed is more subtle.  The way people treat each other.  Particularly on social media, but also in person.  It’s like we have all lost our common decency.  Also, I was in Walmart last night.  I bought a bunch of groceries, drinks, cold meds and vitamins.  I went to write a check and was told they weren’t  accepting checks.  What?   Why???   I had a moment of panic, not because the check wasn’t good, but because we keep a daily limit on our debit cards (a suggestion of the bank) and I wasn’t sure I could  get the card to work.  It did work, but geezzz.  How many places no longer take checks?   Don’t even get me started on the lack of groceries in there.   Where are the ramen noodles?   They’ve been out for months.  They don’t even have the “yucky” brand!   Bread?  Almost Wiped out!   Peanut butter?  I got a couple of the last few jars. Cat litter - gone except for the $25 a bag kind.  I’m not that hard up!   Seriously, the supply chain issues are starting to get to me.  The reason I went to Walmart was because our local dollar general is wiped completely out of cold medicines and vitamins.  Looks like a scene out of a zombie apocalypse movie in there.  Walmart was better, but not by much.  I did get the medicine and vitamins so that worked out.  Saige and Harper love ramen, but today they were introduced to a staple of my childhood - Lipton cup of soup.   I’m told it’ll do, but it’s not as good!   Maybe that is what we should all be learning.  I definitely have the stuff to make my own soup, but not instantly.  Patience?  Gratitude? Self preservation?  Thankfulness.  All decent lessons!