Do you hear what I hear? Do you see what I see?

"Do you hear what I hear" by Julie Larsen (CatholicMom.com)

Image credit: Pixabay.com (2017), CC0/PD[/caption] I am not believing what I hear or see in this trying time. Do we really believe all the news? The coronavirus seems to me to be a very big pandemic and scare. However, one friend of mine pointed out if we did not have social media or TV “telling us” what to do. If we were maybe only with a radio, we probably would not be as scared. We probably wouldn’t be hoarding toilet paper and other necessity items like hand sanitizer. I think some areas are sold out on pain medicines as well. Yes, it is okay to take precautions. Maybe we should re-consider what we need to have on hand instead of what is panic buying. Anyway, I wanted to write about perseverance and I also plan to give a few links to parents who are stuck at home with children that normally go to regular school. I’ll give you some items they can find to do online. Also, I will give parents a couple of links that they might want to look over to educate them on their own health. So, first, perseverance – this is a type of virtue. Here’s a definition: Perseverance is the will to see things through until the end in spite of fear, obstacles, discouragement, and opposition. With perseverance, we can accomplish great things. (VirtuesForLife.com) This sounds like a good virtue to meditate on right now. Second, we should do self-reflection right now. How are we doing in our spiritual life? What can we do to encourage a sense of peace in our life? Are we in the state of grace? Maybe, take the time to get to a confessional. If that’s not possible. Reciting an Act of Contrition with very sincere contrition and making penitential acts can help. (Note: If you are in mortal sin, do try to get to confession as soon as possible). One type of penance act could be helping your neighbor. Perhaps, the neighbor needs help picking up their yard, or getting some groceries. You may have an older neighbor that does not need to get out or exposed to this “virus” – help the neighbor out and offer to pick them up something at the store. Third, getting up each day and making a goal for yourself is important. Make a goal or two for each day. I know for me, making one goal is an accomplishment when I have children to attend to, meals to make, etc. Today’s goal was this blog post. Another day it might be my mom’s newsletter. If you have more time on your hands, you may want to make three goals for the day and try to accomplish them. Fourth, now what do I do with the kids? You may be wondering this if you are a mother and are used to your kids being at a public or even private school. Now, they are home and driving you crazy. I found out that some companies like Adventure Academy, ABC Mouse, and others, are offering some free apps for children to use. You will need to contact them about your school and closure in order to obtain a free code. You can find more information on learning resources for kids at these links: