The pandemic has been shaving away at my patience like sandpaper with the coarsest grit.

Virtual learning. Cancellations. Masks. Hand sanitizer. Division. The election. Fighting. Fear.

Shwooot. Shwooooot. Shwooooooooot.

Day after day after day.

ALL of it means my patience is…thin. And now instead of perhaps a twenty-incident threshold, I’m down to about four.

Four incidents before I feel like I’m spinning out of control. Four incidents until the rage and uncertainty and fear boiling below the surface bubbles over. Four incidents until I’ve just about lost it.

Like today.

Story problems with a distracted and bored first grader.

A painting project in the middle of the kitchen table while the teenagers cut each other’s hair upstairs (Oh my goodness, messes EVERYWHERE!!!!).

Siblings bickering over a couch cushion fort while I’m upstairs in the shower.

A wrestling match between four kids plus a dog and one kid somehow taking a wooden block to the eye.

Boom. That’s four.

If you’d been outside my house just now you would’ve heard the eruption.

EVERYBODY UP TO THEIR ROOMS RIGHT NOW!! FIND SOMETHING QUIET TO DO OR I WILL FIND SOMETHING FOR YOU!!!!!!!! I CAN’T TAKE ANY MOOOOOORRRRRRE OF THIIIIIIIIIIIS!!!!!!

And the kids just stopped. And stared. And gave each other the side eye.

Geez. What’s the matter with mom???

Now I’m in here deep breathing. Praying. Resetting.

I just thought I’d remind everyone.

We’re ALL worn thin. We’re ALL about four incidents away from a meltdown. And none of us knows which number any other person is on.

Let’s breathe. And pray. Let’s extend grace. To ourselves and everyone else. Let’s reset. Again and again and again if we need to. And let’s remember this whole thing is hard. For everyone!!

Then let’s get up tomorrow and try again.

With any hope, eventually our HEARTS will be worn smooth!!!