TEXARKANA MONTHLY
watching her walk, with total confidence, into her first day of Kindergarten all by herself. She is braver than I could ever be and God answered our prayers with the sweet friends she has made. The Brothers started Mother’s Day Out and knowing they have each other calms any fears created by not being able to walk them into their classroom. At home, I have watched those three become the best of friends. Sure, they make each other crazy, but the laughter we hear and the playtimes
As our country approached the thick of this pandemic, and we were encouraged to stay home and refrain from social gatherings with our friends and families, birthday parties, graduations and wedding showers were canceled or replaced with drive-thru celebrations. Then, virtual learning was introduced… bless it y’all! As time went on, our leaders began to understand what we all were feeling; we cannot sustain mental health and well- being in isolation. We need each other!
Easter 2020—the quarantined Flippo Family— Liz, Hutchins, Gabbie, John Allen and John.
Eventually, we were allowed to expand our inner circles. Our bubbles grew, but only slightly, to include only those we really knew and trusted. Let me tell you, the ones with whom you’d order curbside pickups while wearing yoga pants and t-shirts, those are your people. For what it’s worth, I vote we hold on to those easy nights with neighbors and family after all of this mess is over. We’ve created a completely new level of love and friendship in my book. Keep those people close. You are surviving a pandemic together! The past 11 months have encouraged me to be still. I have watched our children grow in ways I may have otherwise missed under normal circumstances. Our daughter is really, really funny, and she wins Connect Four every time. I almost burst with pride while
we get to witness are just the very best. This year has been hard y’all, but we’re going to get through it. As for my home, our kitchen cabinets won’t have locks on them forever and my white walls and baseboards can be repainted. Until that time comes, we will try to keep our focus on what is important to us: protecting our family time, modeling for our children what a loving, committed marriage looks like, having dance parties in the kitchen, and being kind to each other. As we go into 2021, let’s find the good, the fun, the less-fluff-and-stuff moments, and carry those with us. Love your people. Praise God for the blessings He has given. Move your baseline for success. Help someone who needs it. Give all the grace to all the people, all the time, including yourself.
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COMMUNITY & CULTURE
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