My mother (who is now 89 years old) was born during the Great Depression and grew up amid the angst of World War II. She was ten years old when Pearl Harbor was bombed and remembers vividly the sound of air-raid sirens in her small town. Her parents were designated as “air-raid wardens,” meaning they had to walk around the neighborhood and surrounding areas at night and make sure that everyone had their blinds pulled tight and all lights were out during blackout drills, a procedure that was supposed to help prepare Americans by keeping them less visible in case an enemy plane flew overhead. She remembers her mom and dad going out at night in complete darkness to make sure that no light was visible from neighboring homes. It was one of the ways that communities pulled together in an effort to stay safe.
For Christmas and birthdays during the depression years, my mom and her siblings would be thrilled to receive oranges. Yes, oranges! Oranges and other fruits were scarce during the war, so it was quite a treat to receive them at Christmas. Her other gift at Christmas would be a doll dress made by her mother from flour sacks or a doll bed that her older brother carved from tree limbs in the back yard.
Times were incredibly difficult during WWII and the depression so, considering the stress that we are currently going through with COVID-19, I asked Mom how they coped. “We just did what we had to do,” she replied. “We were very grateful for the few things that we did have, and we shared with those who weren’t so fortunate.” Though it was a very stressful time, there was still a lot of joy, and families and communities were very close.
Many families are suffering today in similar ways to my mom’s childhood during the Great Depression: job loss, separation from family members and friends, fear and stress, and a completely different way of living that is now based at home. It’s easy to focus on the negative aspects of life during COVID-19, which just increases our stress levels.
So here is your family challenge for this week: what positive changes has your family made since March? What good things have you noticed about your children? About yourself? I asked my son the other day to name me something positive that he has realized since COVID-19 became a reality. “My friends are really important to me,” he replied. “I’ve realized how much I enjoy spending time with my two best friends.” He’s also learned to cook during this time at home, which is something else that is positive in his life.
As for me, I’ve realized how much I enjoy baking, and how much healthier we eat now that we fix meals at home. I was always so busy before, and we ate out a lot as a family. I’m really enjoying eating at home every night, and we’ve developed some wonderful family time as a result, creating a new dinner routine that each of us looks forward to.
I’ve also created a new morning ritual where I exercise, meditate, then sit on my front porch with a warm cup of tea as I watch the birds at my feeder. It is a soul-satisfying start to my day that I didn’t have previously, and I am grateful for the extended time I now have to enjoy this new routine.
So take a moment and think of the positive things in your life right now, things that might not be happening if life were back to normal. Share these positive things with your kids on a regular basis and take time to point out the good that has come from this difficult time. It will help you and your children to feel less stressed, more secure, and more focused on positive outcomes.
Amanda Sullivan, Maed, lcmhc 