You guys…it’s been a weird week.  Sports have been cancelled.  All week I have been hearing from our former players about how their spring seasons have ended.  A few of them may even have won National Championships this spring.  It breaks my heart to hear their messages about how this pandemic personally impacted them.  Seniors in college don’t get to spend their last semester at school with their friends, or likely graduate with all the pomp and circumstance.  And that’s just one group of people to consider.

People are going out in public in a military issued gas masks (yes, I’ve seen them personally at Walmart), we have developed some weird obsession with buying toilet paper as a nation and our grocery store shelves are bare.  Countless vacations have been cancelled, kids and adults alike disappointed.  Eating out in restaurants in certain cities has been cancelled.  Millions of people lost their work due to the many closures of various events.  Our economy will be impacted deeply. We are being told to socially isolate except for doctors and nurses who charge head first into the fray in an effort to help people who need them.  Come on everyone…let’s all say some extra prayers for these brave and selfless individuals.  They take an oath and they stand by it.  In the society we live in these days, that should be celebrated. Especially at times like these!

People have died from this virus.  There is so much uncertainty all around us.  To say this pandemic is scary would be an understatement.

On a personal note Thursday I came home from school armed with what could be our “Plan B” if school doesn’t come back into session post Spring Break (obviously we are all hoping it does).  I will have to learn how to teach in a completely different manner than I am comfortable with.  But that is the hand we’ve been dealt, so there is no use complaining.  That same day I had my first, and maybe last (of this season) boy’s volleyball practice…and it was so much fun!  And…I was really excited to teach these boys the game I love.  That same day I had to come home and tell our 5 kids that we would not be going to Disney for our Spring Break vacation that was their Christmas present. A first world problem no doubt…perspective.  Our kids have been talking about this trip for weeks, planning what they would pack (they had actual lists written out), what rides they would go on, who would sit with who and how much we would swim!  Not to mention that day Finley gave me the countdown until we left on our way to school.  On a positive note, they handled it better than most adults would have…kids are amazing and so resilient.  That same day one of my former players texted me that her season was over.  They called it off indefinitely and her chance to win a National Championship was gone…maybe forever.  I went to bed that night with a heavy heart.

I don’t want to panic…that’s really not my style.  I want to fix it, though even I am smart enough to know I don’t have that kind of power.  So I am going to do what I can.  I am going to pray…a lot.  I am going to pray by myself, with my husband and with our children.  I do believe in the power of prayers.  Tonight we prayed a family rosary and each one of our kids had to say something they were grateful for and something they wanted to pray for before we started. They all prayed for someone they know that is either old or immune compromised.  They are 9, 8 and 4 years old.  So anyone who says kids don’t get it…is wrong…this impacts everyone.

So to start…for those of you who think this doesn’t affect you…I assure you it does.  Whether it’s because you feel annoyed that you have to self isolate or can’t go out and about in the way you see fit or because you live with someone who is immune compromised.  We. Are. All. Impacted.

So I come back to…do what we can. Wash our hands, stay away from large groups, limit our trips out and about and pray.  Pray…a lot.

I am going to pray.  Play with my kids.  Try to enjoy this mandated slow down we’ve all been given (because we all know we regularly complain about the crazy schedules we all maintain) and I am going to celebrate the hell out of the awesome in my life.  So I will apologize in advance for the annoying videos and photos that will be clogging my personal social media pages.  If you want to wallow in self-pity feel free to pass by my pages and/or look the other way.  I am going to post one awesome something of the Dorsey shenanigan’s each day as a way to look on the bright side and help us all see our way through this confusing and crazy time.

Until this ends, I will be praying for you all and trying my best to #celebr8awesome

First shenanigan’s post coming tomorrow.  Stay tuned!