Thriving in a pandemic?

As a mom, try as hard as I might, I often look at the life of my kids with a glass half full.  Ask Mike- I default to the worst possible scenario with them in less than a hot second.  It's not that I don't believe that God has them in His palm. It's not that I don't believe they are capable of doing life. It's just that as they start to fly outside the confines of my nest, I worry that perhaps I haven't prepped them for EVERY LITTLE THING that could go wrong....and then tell them how to navigate it.  Heck, every time they leave the house or hang up the facetime call, my last words are "Be safe. I love you." 

Be safe.
Ha! In a pandemic. With riots.
Be safe.

Months back, when this pandemic was seemingly just a blip, my heart ached for Rachel. She was working, fully masked, in an assisted living center. My constant prayer was "Please Lord, keep her safe." Little did I realize then how He would not only allow her to survive, but in the midst of the mess, actually make her thrive.

This girl....the one who will tell you her love language is most definitely NOT physical touch, who will tell you she has her dad's dry sense of humor, who is balancing both an internship and a job while still doing her own grocery shopping..... is thriving.

I am watching her....

*paint nails of the elderly each week. (Hot pink seems to be the popular color right now).

*take them outside for walks, even when it's 90 degrees, while pushing a wheelchair fast enough to make them feel like they are soaring, each cracking up at themselves.

*put curlers in residents' hair, even though she herself doesn't do a thing with hair.

*put together spotify playlists with residents' favorites oldies but goodies, to spur memories and talk about the good old days.

*engage them in conversations that often include dating advice for her.

*confidently encourage them to attend activities and convince them to socialize.

*find bits of good news to share with them to keep them focused on anything but the messy world.

*show up, no matter what her heart is feeling, to be a bright light to those around her.

I wish I could record her voice when she talks about work...how she becomes animated and her laughter sprinkles the stories of shenanigans...because those residents definitely have their share of shenanigans.  

And I realize that they just don't need her; she needs them too.  They give her the reason the get up, get dressed, care for herself before caring for others. In a very weird way, they have been her company through this- they have been her "normal" through this. In a world where loneliness seems to be pervasive, they have been companions and helped fill many many hours of many many days.

Steve Jobs once said, "Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do."  It's obvious this kiddo learned that lesson. 

I'm happy to say, when I think of Rae at work, is am starting to see the glass half full. She loves them and they love her back. She works hard, but it is fulfilling....and that contentment is showing on her face.  Yep, still hard days are ahead, and yes, I will still tell her to "be safe" every time she calls, but I also will end the call knowing that she's not just surviving, but thanks to God using her gifts, she is indeed thriving. 

Be safe, kiddo. I love you. 

xo Mom