Erin Englert

Before I became a parent, I thought the term “mom guilt” was so silly. Why would all these lovely moms even think for a second that they weren’t good enough?! Clearly they were divinely chosen for the children God provided them… so what was the big deal?

Cards and flowers and breakfast in bed. Homemade gifts with little handprints. Notes of appreciation and extra hugs. A day of pampering. Can we ever actually thank our mothers enough?

If this year hasn’t made you feel like you are not in control, I’m not sure what will! It’s been an entire year of unforeseen twists and turns and last-minute cancellations, not the least of which is your child’s education and extra-curricular activities.

As I desperately await the arrival of the “normal” that seems far off, I’ve become a little stir crazy in my own home. I’ve knocked out all the obvious projects, and have found myself wasting more time lately. The novelty of this whole thing has passed, and it’s been a challenge not to view the rest of this time as something to just “get through.”

Almost everyone has experienced some sort of disruption to their routine in the past few weeks. Whether you’ve been sent home to work remotely or your kids’ school has started “e-learning,” things at home have changed. With more and more states issuing stay-at-home orders and closing nonessential businesses, how are we to fill our days?

Can I be honest with you all? New Year’s Day seems a little sneaky to me. After we’ve spent the last two months gorging ourselves on cream cheese balls and all manner of delicious sweets, we are walloped with a holiday that has self-evaluation baked into its DNA. Like, seriously? Who planned this out? I’m not ready to be under the microscope!