With lots of children finally going off to school, parents are full of mixed emotions: concerns for their kids as they deal with the complexities of making new friends, and a little relief that our daily routine is getting back to normal, and, of course, the gratitude that we’ve got through another summer in one piece.
This was beautifully illustrated in a prayer that the actress Jennifer Garner posted on Instagram back during the COVID pandemic, and although we’re now through all the uncertainties that came with the virus, there are always new challenges ahead of us that make this prayer relatable just as much today.
Thank you for the gifts and lessons of this summer. God bless teachers, faculty and administrators as they guide us through this big question mark of a school year. Bless the parents trying to make it all work. And the children who are learning to make the best of things in ways we couldn’t have predicted. Help us remember we hold each other in our hands. And please God, preserve our collective sense of humor. Amen
It is that sense of gratitude as we make our way into a new year, after those long summer vacations, that we could all stand to embrace. The situation at the start of the school year is often full of anxiety and worries, but if we turn to God and seek his love and guidance it feels more manageable — especially with an all-important sense of humor!
And today we celebrate...