It’s almost time for Christmas vacation. And we’re not going anywhere. We are being particularly careful as COVID-19 is getting worse all around the United States. I am in a mad dash to have my kids get caught up in their classes. As I’ve written before, I feel like virtual school does not work for my children. My middle and high-schooler are struggling so much. I’m sort of at the point of throwing it in the bag and just hoping they pass.

I’m wondering, realistically, how prepared my kids are going to be for their classes following these. I mean, I look at the work they’re supposed to have done, and it seems as if they are picking and choosing what to do. I will say Canvas is probably the hardest thing in the world to grasp. I mean, it does list a To-DO section, but that’s only recent To-Dos, and sometimes old To-Dos just disappear even if they haven’t been TO-DONE! It makes a mom super frustrated.

I feel the worst for my 10th grader. He doesn’t have much time left to make up what’s going on. I will say though you can tell what’s important. We received a message from the school saying GPA requirements will be thrown out this year for sports. Oh Hallelujah! Right, Sports the KING of the USA. No one should even be playing sports right now. I mean how ridiculous is that? Maybe we should throw out GPA requirements and testing standards for EVERY.SINGLE.FUCKING.OTHER.THING! Because how can you tell a kid he has to take an End of Course exam when he’s been virtual all year and sitting mindlessly in front of a computer instead of a real live teacher? It just doesn’t make sense.

It’s one of a lot of things that don’t make sense. I feel like, in this country which I love, we keep doing the same things expecting the same results (definition of insanity). Well our lives have changed DRASTICALLY! And yet we expect our most vulnerable human beings, our children, to do well and go on living like nothing has changed. Well everything has changed for them too. In years to come, this will be studied, and our future selves will be asking, “WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK HAPPENED and why wasn’t anything done about it?”

And can we talk about the COVID-19 vaccine for a hot minute? People are worried about taking it. WORRIED about taking a vaccine that could potentially save their life, their neighbor’s life, their kid’s life. WHAT? I get how people could be skeptical. But I am really doubting when the polio vaccine came around that some Karens sat around and said, “Oh, should I get Billy a vaccine or risk him spending his entire life in an iron lung?” Come on, people. Listen to the scientists instead of social media!

I promise I was going to write about Christmas Vacation. Mainly, because I wish it could last three or four months and that my kids wouldn’t ever have to go back to virtual school. In the mornings, before I go for a run or walk, I sit in front of the Christmas tree and I ponder things (when I’m not binge watching television). For one, I ponder why it took me eight months of being in my home to decide to get healthy and to get in shape? For two, I ponder how people who have grown up in the same culture, with give-or-take the same ideals can think so differently about things like science and practical thought, and three I ponder whether my kids are going to come out of this okay? I hope they do. I will say we have had a lot of togetherness. Possibly too much togetherness. And I hope they look back on this and don’t think about the time I made them get caught up on 7 billion assignments on a Sunday. I hope they think about the time we made cookies, and went exploring in the woods, and sat by the fireplace and cuddled, and talked about our feelings, and commiserated about COVID-19, you know, the good times. And I hope this Christmas, though it will be different for them, will bring them joy, love, and happiness, and give them a little bit of a break from the stress in their lives. I hope that for them.

I hope 50% of people in the US will take the COVID-19 vaccine, and eventually we can get back to a more normal way of life. And I hope in the future, people will listen to the experts and stop thinking about their own selfish needs and put other people before them for once. These are my hopes for this Christmas.

Peace on Earth and Goodwill to Men (and all genders).

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