Borage flowers bloom in the writer’s yard. (Katie Scott/Catholic Sentinel)
Borage flowers bloom in the writer’s yard. (Katie Scott/Catholic Sentinel)
" For God is right here with us, ever patient as we bumble through our days of pandemic life.  "
“Humility is attentive patience.”

Sage advice for parents? Indeed. Though in fact those words were written by the early 20th-century activist-mystic-philosopher Simone Weil in a reflection on love of God and self.

The coronavirus has opened me up in new ways to God’s work in my life, and attentive patience seems to be what the Lord is driving home hard. Like the time I was set to rise early to quickly finish a story on deadline and my toddler was up for hours the night before. Small potatoes when it comes to the real suffering people are undergoing currently, but arduous in my domestic sphere. It required attentive patience with my son, even as I mourned that precious sleep.

Many of us are working with kiddos perpetually underfoot (or, in my house, jumping off couches or reveling under a layer of mud), and some of you have other challenges to face. No doubt we’ve all gained insights. Here are some of mine.

— Be attentive to the moment. Yeah, buzzwordy. But when you try to truly do it, it’s tough. Especially now when there are so many worries on our minds. But the fruits are precious. That savory meal, your child’s face, your spouse’s kind gesture, that insightful comment during the Zoom meeting. Absorb them in the moment and they nourish you.

— If you are living with someone, be sure you know their love language and make an attempt to practice it daily, especially when they are getting on your nerves. It will grow love and peace in your home.

— Attend to nature. How comforting that the trees, the flowers, the birds have no concerns about a spreading virus. They are just doing their thing, budding and blooming and chirping. Praise God for their soothing presence. For God is right here with us, ever patient as we bumble through our days of pandemic life.