Parenting has never been easy, and the last few years have pushed us to our limits. The pandemic, lockdowns, school disruptions—it’s no wonder parents everywhere feel stretched thin. In Massachusetts, some parents have even started gathering outside just to scream their frustrations into the void. Who can blame them?
But moments like these remind us of something profound, a truth beautifully captured by Julia Baird in her book, Phosphorescence: A Memoir of Finding Joy When Your World Goes Dark. At her lowest point, a therapist shared this with her:
“It is now that everything that you have been given in your life matters. This is what you draw on. Your parents, your friends, your work, your books, everything you have ever been told, everything you have ever learned, this is when you use that.”
Who knows how much longer this chaos will last? What we do know is that everything we’ve endured, every lesson we’ve learned, every challenge we’ve faced, has been preparing us for this moment. For now.
Now is the time to draw on it all—for our kids and for ourselves. To guide them. To keep them safe. To help them see that this adversity, as hard as it is, will one day become their strength, just as it’s becoming ours now.
This is the moment. Everything you’ve ever learned is here to serve you. Use it.
P.S. You can grab a copy of Phosphorescence: A Memoir of Finding Joy When Your World Goes Dark over at the Painted Porch.
Also, Julia recently joined us on The Daily Stoic Podcast, where she discussed how we can all build more resilience in our lives and how approaching grief with a sense of grace can transform ourselves and the world around us. Listen to the full episode here or watch it over on the Daily Stoic YouTube channel.