In a quote attributed to Theodore Roosevelt, he said “Comparison is the thief of joy,” and during a season of life where many of us have been at home, feeling disconnected from family, maybe spending more time on our devices than we usually would, I think this is an important thing to keep in mind.
While Roosevelt didn’t have computers, television, or cell phones to occupy his attention, his quote has only become truer as time and technology has evolved.
If you’re already registered to vote, you’re probably prepping for the next part of the election cycle: requesting absentee ballots.
Active-duty service members and their voting age family members can request absentee ballots rather than physically voting in their home state. There is still time to request absentee ballots for the general election!
Military life is hard enough, and plenty of us know that, but this season of life is particularly hard due to COVID restrictions.
It’s more difficult to make friends.
It’s more difficult for our children to find friends.
Many of us have already found out our kids will be doing virtual schooling in the fall, while others await a decision.
And some of us are holding on to that last strand of sanity, preventing ourselves from falling apart simply because we have to keep on keepin’ on.
This is how life goes, even though this might not feel like living.
Recently, my 6-year-old had a homework assignment about creating a chain reaction. We drafted our plan using sketches of how we would set up dominoes to fall over various surfaces before launching a car through a loop-de-loop. We spent hours setting up dominoes, knocking them down by accident, and starting over. Finally, everything was in position and still standing despite two younger siblings “helping.”
My 6-year-old got into position and gently tipped the first domino. We watched them fall, hearing a satisfying clink as each domino made contact with the one in front of it.
Finally, the last domino began to fall. It tapped the car, and…
Nothing.
Hours of trying to make it work and it didn’t.
My daughter was upset, and honestly, we might have been overly ambitious.
That experiment got me thinking about our current struggles as parents.
Like many people around the world, you may have found yourself in a quarantine in your own home until the worst is over.
And, like many people around the world, you may be realizing just how boring and monotonous it can get being stuck in your home with your spouse (who may or may not work from home) and/or your children.
Seriously, #solidarity.
For me, reading has been the best way to pass the time, both reading to my kids and reading books for myself. The problem for many is finding these books. So here are a few ways you can access digital books that are new to you or re-read old favorites without leaving your house.
Many of us headed into 2020 with some form of personal growth on our minds. Maybe you want to eat better and work out more. Maybe you want to find constructive ways to de-stress and learn how to say “no” more often. Maybe you want to strengthen your relationship with your spouse and kids.
And maybe, you didn’t make any resolutions at all, but find yourself floundering in this military life. This isn’t an easy journey, and we often find ourselves pouring a lot of energy into our service members and children.
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