Use this Labor Day to Reflect & Renew Strength

Summer is coming to a close and, as we approach Labor Day, all of us are scratching our heads wondering, “What [the he**] happened to the past few months?” and, more importantly, “What [the he**] is about to happen in the coming few?” 

Call it adolescent, but Lauren and I agree that September is when we really feel the mark of a new year ahead. For us, Labor Day weekend inspires a reinvigorated appetite for lofty goals and new achievements. We turn in our sunscreen and flip flops for schedules and deadlines, and it feels good. 

Although 2020 has been far from normal, the sense of new beginnings for this year is no different. Even with a substantially shifted landscape of uncertainty and unrest, we are challenged to reflect on how we can bring a better version of ourselves to our realities and our relationships. 

In a recent NYT Article, “I Don’t Know If My Relationship Will Survive the Pandemic,” Danielle Campoamor explains that, after months of quarantining with her husband and children, she feels she might have reached the brink. We can all relate to Campoamor when she says: “We were fighting more and understanding each other less.”

With a prolonged public health crisis, schools that are woefully unprepared for the academic year, an unemployment rate hovering steady at around 10%, continued racial violence and protests, and the upcoming election (did I miss anything?), it’s difficult to imagine the strength of our relationships being tested harder. Apparently, nearly one in ten couples in the US report that they are likely to separate at least in part due to issues related to the pandemic. 

This is where the real work begins. As we head into Fall, back inside our homes and out of the sunshine, we should take a moment to reflect on the strength and resolve that have gotten us this far and that remain within our reach. What will we need from within ourselves in order to avoid crumbling under the pressure, to avoid blame-shifting and straining our relationships to the point of dysfunction? We must invoke our even deeper senses of grace and compassion to support our own well being as well as our loved ones through the rest of 2020. It is with these attributes that we learn to transcend our fear and anger, to show up for our children and to support those that depend on us as a source of strength and hope. 

We may not be back-to-school shopping or lining up our fantasy football draft picks the way we normally would, but we have a higher calling this year. If you are feeling unhinged, let this be a reminder to find your way back to grace and compassion, no matter what choices you decide to make for yourself or your family in the coming months. And if you need a little pep talk, just let us know. We are here to support you and your family through these challenges and to help you make wise choices that will serve you in the long term. Just reach out!