Back to the Basics
By Jenny Dendinger
P.E. – canceled.
Trip to the lighthouse – canceled.
First Friday picnic – canceled.
Little Mermaid Ballet – canceled.
Date night – canceled.
I could go on, but I think you get my point. COVID-19 threw quite a monkey wrench into our plans, and, as a result, our family life became a bit more intense.
In the last few months, we have gone on more bike rides than ever before. Luckily, we live in an area with beautiful streets to explore. Louisiana certainly isn’t known for its elevation, but we still discovered and memorized every spot that graces us with even the smallest slope. There is nothing like the crescendo of excitement as we pedal as fast as we can, spread our legs wide and coast down the road, laughing at our exaggerated joy. You can’t put a price on that kind of fun.
Another adventure that resulted in a much-needed mental health boost was our recent trip to a local state park. While we weren’t the only ones there, we had plenty of space to ourselves. We spread out a colorful blanket, enjoyed a picnic lunch of sandwiches and fruit, and followed it all up with a little oak tree climbing and tossing the football. That might not seem like anything special, but the change of scenery mixed with the fresh air and sunshine really did make all the difference.
Our most memorable COVID-19 field trip was spent almost entirely in the van. It was one of those wait-in-line-for-an-hour-so-you-can-have-15-minutes-of-fun kind of trips – only the fun part was going to confession! With the current restrictions in place, our wonderful priest, Father Damian Zablocki, was generously offering confession in Most Holy Trinity’s parking lot. Since we were well overdue for some grace, all seven of us piled in the van and waited for our turn. Even though I felt bad for the people waiting in line behind our clown car filled with penitents, I was so happy that we went. It was an unforgettable experience!
So, how did we survive the sudden pressure washing of our calendar? We went back to the basics: sunshine and grace, y’all. Sunshine and grace.
