A therapist told me once that one of the most important things in life was to have something, even a small thing, to look forward to. In times of crisis, when it seems all of life is about the now & the immediate future, it can seem endless unless you can find something to look forward to in the future.
Right now, I can’t leave this room, and my husband can’t leave our house (except to pick up groceries through a contact-free option at our grocer’s). Every day we wonder “what next?,” with a feeling of dread. That’s no way to live.
One day, this will be over and it will be okay to go places and see friends again. Why not look forward and think about where we’d like to go when we can? Even a short road trip will feel like an adventure. I’m looking around our state and identifying places I’d like to visit, things I’ve either always meant to do or that sound good.
I’m not sure when we’ll be able to go, but even planning the trip makes me look forward in a way that says “There will be a future and we’ll be in it.” Planning is a hopeful exercise. This can also be a project for homeschooling — more on that on our #AskATutor page.