The Corona-Homeschooling Blues
I’ve got the Cheshvan/Corona-Homeschooling blues. The inspired flames of teshuva that burned so bright in Elul and Tishrei have been completely snuffed out. Poof!
When I read over the ambitious list I wrote up before Rosh Hashana to upgrade every area of my life, I’m like: “Did I actually, seriously write all these? Cause right now the only dream I can conjure up is getting through all my 3rd grader’s geometry homework (which reminds me, have you possibly got an angle ruler I could borrow? Can’t find ours ANYWHERE!)
Yesterday, my kindergartner noticed my eBook reader lying on my bed.
“Eema, I didn’t know you have a tablet! Can I see it?”
“Yoni, don’t touch that!” I called out as I ran down the stairs, “There’s nothing interesting for you on that tablet, just BORING books in ENGLISH for Eema.”
And I forgot all about that exchange until earlier today when I noticed a mysterious bill from Barnes and Nobles in my inbox, $13.95 for a book I never ordered…Uggh!!
I scrolled down to the bottom of the Email, and with anticipatory relief clicked on the words: “Learn about our Easy Returns!” only to discover that it’s easy to return everything to Barnes and Nobles–except eBooks.
And the name of the book Yoni ordered for me? The Return. Or, in Hebrew, Teshuva. Which got me thinking…That maybe underneath these Cheshvan/Corona-Homeschooling blues, my Elul and Tishrei teshuva are still in there–somewhere. No returns on The Return.
No returns on The Return. I like it. You’ve got this Chana Jenny. There have been so many ways I’ve fallen into a slump since Elul and Tishrei, but I try to keep reminding myself that Hashem believes in me…that He hasn’t forgotten my intentions and my goals, and that I can work towards the changes I dreamed of, little by little, mistakes and slumps and all.
And you can come up with new lists. For the new reality.