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“In three words, I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.”

Robert Frost

Life goes on. It’s a simple statement that can remind us of hopeful assurance, yet at times it speaks a harsh truth. Sometimes life is grand and beautiful. Sometimes it just plain sucks. Simple as that. Isn’t that what we see on social media all the time? Perfect family, perfect selfie (with just the right filter,) perfect life. But, in reality, you can’t see the tears Mrs. What’s-her-name is holding back because of the fight she just had with her man right before their picture-perfect pose. You can’t see the mom behind the camera who just screamed at her kids to “smile or we are NOT going to Chick-Fil-A after this!” Life isn’t perfect and we know now, more than ever, that behind every smile, we are still ALL dealing with one major issue.

The time I’ve been able to spend with my kids the past couple of weeks has been priceless. The girls and I have gone on walks in our neighborhood to the soundtrack of Mamma Mia which included singing and maybe even a little dancing. (To my neighbors: You’re welcome!) As a family, we’ve relaxed on the back porch, played Frisbee with the dog, and enjoyed the fresh air. We have played games, watched movies, and ate dinner together every evening. We’ve shared a lot of laughter (and butted heads more than once.) For the most part, we’ve been enjoying each other’s presence. Other times, it has been necessary to retreat to our own corners of the house because, let’s face it, this is a lot of family time and sometimes we just need a little space. (Translated as Momma. Momma just needs a little space.)

While our time together has been sweet, what started out as an extended spring break has turned into the harsh reality that school is suddenly out for the summer. For my oldest daughter, her plans to study abroad for the fall semester—something she has been dreaming of and planning for over a year—are now up in the air. For my senior son, that means no senior trip, no senior prom, no baseball season, no graduation. (Do we even order graduation announcements?) For my youngest daughter, it means the end of her freshman year, her spring volleyball season, and suddenly, no time with her friends. This has led to some hard conversations, and there might have been a tear or two shed, mostly by me. (Shocking, I know.)

The reality of this virus is churning all around us. Our world is changing in a way our generation has never seen before. In a world where we are literally running to and fro non-stop, we have been forced to slow down, stay home, and practice “social distancing.” Businesses have been forced to close. People have lost their jobs. School has been canceled and parents are learning what it means to home-school their children. (Let me pause right here to say this: there is a reason I never home-schooled my children. It’s the same reason I didn’t become a teacher. I know other parents can relate. God bless you, teachers, for all you do. And some of you moms and dads are really going to rock this home-schooling gig. For the rest of us…Jesus, take the wheel.) Everything changed in a matter of days, and the end seems to be getting further and further out of sight. I feel like we’re living in a creepy sci-fi movie, and, by the way…I really don’t like sci-fi movies.

My youngest daughter and I recently had a conversation about some hard issues. Things like dating, grades, school, social media and phone usage, learning responsibilities, and just the overall course of growing up. I realize these conversations are part of normal everyday life, but then it hit me—life is anything but normal right now.

As we sat on her bed, hugging, crying, and praying, I was silently reminded of one simple truth: Life goes on. We are living in a difficult time, but our kids are still growing up. Life has taken away a sense of normalcy to their lives. Things like sleepovers, school socialization, and trips to the mall are suddenly not ok—not normal. Our teenagers still want to drive and date and hang out with their friends, and they can’t do so much of that for a while. Our kids have been forced to grow up, faster than ever, and realize that life isn’t always fair.

In the days since that talk with my daughter—and since life has slowed down and I’m taking walks every evening—I have been pondering those three words. Life goes on.

Life goes on and sometimes it’s just painful. It just isn’t fair. You go through a break-up, and even as you’re hurting, life goes on. You lose a loved one and even in your grief, everything around you keeps moving as if nothing happened. A virus sweeps across the world, forcing everything to shut down, and changes life as you know it. And it sucks, but life keeps right on keeping on and you must find a new normal.

I challenge you—as much as I challenge myself—to remember this: your current situation won’t last forever, and a bad day doesn’t mean a bad life. As we slow down, let’s take time to literally stop and smell the roses. Because the flowers are still blooming. The trees are still budding. The grass is turning green. The birds are greeting us with song every morning and we are actually home to hear them! And, thank you, Jesus, the sun will rise every morning.

As my pastor said in his sermon today, and I’m paraphrasing, “Every trial in your life has the potential to build you or break you. It all depends on how you react.” We may have a new normal for a while, but instead of focusing on the pain and negativity, let’s find assurance in the fact that life, indeed, does go on.

Let’s do our best to make it beautiful.