For many, staying safe at home is getting old.  The list of activities we can safely partake in is growing and each one added seems to magnify the things we should avoid/delay.  While the pandemic has curtailed some activities, it has also pushed us outside our comfort zones.  We are creating new ways to enrich our lives and help others.

Instead of longing for the events we are missing, use this as an opportunity to create unique and positive experiences.  Here are some things you might want to try with your family.

• Take a virtual trip to Disney World on their new website www.DisneyMagicMoments.com.  It offers free resources, educational cartoons and even allows you to virtually ride Disney World attractions.
• Mattel has created a playroom www.mattelplayroom.com featuring games, coloring pages, and DIY projects around American Girl, Barbie, Fisher-Price, and Hot Wheels.
• Visit a world-class museum online; the world’s most famous museums offer virtual tours.
• Do your children like to sing, put on skits, or play an instrument? Impromptu concerts arranged with local nursing and assisted living homes are a great way to bring joy to people.
• Learn a new skill!  Sew?  Knit?  Sketch? Keep a journal?
• When was the last time you wrote and mailed a hand-written letter?
• Are there people in your neighborhood or your church who need someone to get groceries, run errands, or mow the lawn?  What a great way to teach servant leadership up close and personal.
• Read a book together.  When’s the last time you read a book aloud to your children or asked them to read to you?  Reading stimulates the imagination, develops language, and expands our understanding of the world.  Pick a favorite and dedicate 30 minutes each evening to reading together.
• Growing a garden not only provides fresh food for the table, but it also is a great learning experience, teaches patience, brings comfort, and what an accomplishment to say: “We did this! We did something good!”
• Take walks or take a drive.

Isolation, not being with friends, social distancing can be hard.  We all need something positive to fill our time and our minds.  In the words of Father Angelus Echeverry, “How we live today is what determines tomorrow.” 

Let us know what you are doing with your family to help with the isolation.