Our Journey at SJB through COVID-19: The Gift of the Family

Good morning SJB!

As we listen to the media and all that is being reported about COVID-19, my mind takes me back to a time when I was little.

I grew up on a hobby farm, the third of six daughters. I wore hand-me-downs, only ate what we grew and for a time, had no running water nor electricity.

This is me (Mrs. W)...one of my favorite places
to play was with my goats.

Among the hardships, what I remember is the time we spent as a family, playing cards on winter evenings, sewing ‘clothes’ for our hand-made dolls or singing songs around an ill-tuned piano. I remember the time our water pump froze by the barn and my siblings and I concocted a pulley system that would take 5 gallons buckets of water down the hill to the farm animals. I remember the time my father returned home without his coat after taking a trip into Minneapolis. My mother inquired where it was. He responded that he gave it away to someone who needed it more than he did. I am reminded of the times when days were hard and my parents would bring us together and teach us about “offering it up” and the power/value of the family.

I know my childhood is certainly different than times now, but those words, “offer it up” are timeless. Those words have stayed with me, though I do not think I fully understood their meaning until much later in life. It was at this later time that I came to understand that while Christ suffered for us, He left room for us to unite our suffering with His. His suffering brought redemption for all, and while my suffering seem significantly smaller in comparison, when times are hard, we can join those hardships with Christ’s. He, in turn, can use our sacrifices for the good of those that need it. We can give the challenges and exhaustion we feel over to Him, offering these moments for the good of others, for those lying in hospitals at this very moment, dying alone. We can take the moments we feel like we cannot do one more day of distance learning and offer it for those who will not even have the opportunity for such learning.

While these days can certainly stretch us, the gift possibly unseen is truly the gift of the family....these days are a WIN for the family and for what we value so highly at SJB.

My heart swells with gratitude for SJB families that are in this community together, united in this journey. I am grateful for our teachers who are working at home, bringing distance learning while parenting and doing distance learning themselves with their own families! I am OVERLY grateful (can one be overly grateful?) for all our support staff for their endless hours of caring for children still needing care and cleaning/sanitizing every square inch of the classroom environments and overall school.

Join me today on the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, saying 'yes' to the Lord, offering this day and the hardships within it for The Family.

Blessings on your day!

And now...a story from Ms. Mary called Caterpillar, Caterpillar by Vivian French