A Short Reprieve

Investing time in my family so they will know what normal life could look like in the future

I may have mentioned my kids once or twice over the course of my time here on substack.(haha)I have a goal to document the good, bad and the ugly for my kids. Right now, in the picture above, it is the good.

It was 70 degrees and the heat coming off the rocks felt like I could pull them up over my body like a warm blanket. The wind coming off the water made it just a touch cooler so it felt almost like I could’ve taken a nap, though a pillow would have been nice.

Sitting there with my 12 year old, asking me simple questions about simple things made me reflect on the innocence she still has.

I want my three kids to be able to look back at the times that we were together as a family with fondness. I want them to know that this might have been the most ideal time in their lives. Free of politics, free of anger, threats or hate.

Maintaining that innocence has obviously become much more difficult. I know in the near future there will be some challenging things that they will have to face. Unfortunately we live in a very different world.

My 16 year old is in the throes of these arduous times. Her access to the internet has clearly brought on these harmful realities prematurely. I am partially blaming myself because I didn’t restrict her access quite as well as I should have. I truly hope some day, when she gets through her teenage angst, she will look at those camping trips in the following pictures and see that they were actually kind of fun.

I look at these days on vacation to be powerful memories to draw from. Goals to set for dark times of struggle. When undeniable hardships invade my kids lives, I truly hope that they can take these types of vacations with their future loved ones. It can remind them that there is still beauty in this world.

Cynical as life has been lately, I truly believe we will get through this. I believe justice will be restored. I hate that so many people are suffering and I realize that I have been privileged in my life. No one deserves to be treated in the way that the current administration thinks it is acceptable.

If we are going to get through these complex and politically charged times, we are going to need to draw on good memories. Sometimes funny cat videos will not be enough. They come in handy at times but what we all need to do is coalesce. We need to continue our shared and mostly positive conversation right here on this app.

With the constant barrage of bad news coming out, we have to rely on each other to pull us out of this fog of constant, upsetting news. And I know things have been ugly for the last 6 months. So during these times lets be sure to reach out to those that are able to help support you starting right here on this app. Feel free to reach out to me anytime. I will be glad to at least give you some encouragement.

I see so many beautiful articles with so many great things to say. When you are overwhelmed, maybe click on one of those before diving back into the dystopia, just for a short while. Nobody can fix this situation all at once. It is not a sprint (as the cliche goes) it's a marathon.

These last 6 months have felt like 6 years. I know we are all reeling from these news cycles that feel like left-right hooks (boxing metaphor, I know lol) every day. Keep the faith my friends, we will get through this together ❤️

We must continue to rely on each other. Our future depends on the care and help of those around us, even as close as next door.

Love you all,

Erik

(Liberaldad)