Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, is having a tough time right now for global and personal reasons.

I can't speak to the experience of those who don't have kids. What I *can* say is that if you have young kids who are distance learning, you can't check out. You have to be engaged.

@amandafarough takes the lead with remote schooling for our youngest (with me doing some backup).

There are days we'd love to just... pause. Unfortunately, we just... can't. Our kids need us.

Instead, it's tag-team. We try to give each other short breaks.

It means that our family, which is tight-knit and relies on each of us pitching in a normal basis is working hard to keep things harmonious so the engine keeps chugging.

For the parents out there, keep on keeping on. For those struggling for other reasons, your experience is, of course, valid too.

And for the teachers, our healthcare providers, our grocery store workers, and other frontline personnel? Thank you. Thank you for holding us together

But please, we know we all need more rest, more diversion, more distraction during this whole thing.

Some of us are not in a position to take that time when there are people at home or in our communities that rely on us. Telling us to just... not... for a day isn't possible.

I know it's intended to be helpful. In many instances, it isn't, though. Your concern is gratefully accepted. The advice to just stop churning through our days and prioritize ourselves? A little less so. It's not a luxury available to many. of us. Thanks for understanding.