The Heroes We Need Right Now

One Thing the Pandemic Has Made Clear: Not All Heroes Wear Capes

Sarah Condon / 3.18.20
  • My brother. He’s not feeling well. I called him and cried and said things like, “Please drink gatorade” and “You were my first baby and I can’t handle anything happening to you.” On FaceTime no less.
  • My brother’s girlfriend who sat calmly beside him and told me they would be okay. It’s so comforting to have your panicked older sister go all life-raft-on-the-Titanic on you in front of your girlfriend. Not weird at all.
  • All of the homeschool mothers who are posting their tips for surviving this s-show with no judgment for those of us who feel like we are educating our children, cooking multiple meals a day, and have somehow found ourselves in The Handmaid’s Tale Lite. It turns out y’all aren’t all ankle-length denim skirts.
  • TEACHERS OMG HOW DO THEY DO THIS EVERY SINGLE DAY
  • The church ladies who are still managing to make sure the 2400 kids we feed every week are still getting their food:
  • My daughter. She can make a grandparent out of anyone and thus loves to stand by strangers in grocery stores. I explained to her that this makes older people nervous right now. So her new practice is to point and yell, “Get back! They are old!” to anyone over 40. And she means it with all of her kindergarten heart.  #savethegrandparentssavetheworld
  • My son. After our first day of “homeschooling,” he told me he finally felt like he and his sister are “brother and sister.” A lot of terrible things will come out of this disaster. But at least my children will love one another more deeply.
  • My husband who sat in the church parking lot on Sunday morning for hours to make sure everyone knew we could not gather.
  • All of the clergy who had to record their services and had never recorded so much as a makeup tutorial (or even seen one) (or even know what that is).
  • All of the clergy who had to record their services at home and then this happened to them (h/t Jared Jones):
  • Screens. I mean thank God for screens. I sat and cried with some mothers from church last night. I had not cried yet. And I needed to.
  • Related to screens: David Zahl and his accidental Instagram close-up. You’ll notice my devotional the next day was very put-together. I do know what a make up tutorial is.
  • My parents who reminded me of what what we have given up in this country during times of war. I never thought I’d be a stay-at-home mom. But my husband never thought he’d be taking care of a church during a pandemic. I have to remind myself to relent to the relentless shifting sand.
  • My friend who is a neonatologist. My friend who is a nurse. My cousin’s wife who is a pharmacist.
  • Mo Willems.
  • Calm people. I am not one of them and I do not pretend to be one of them.
  • Duncan Hines.
  • Jesus the Healer.

Featured image: Zbysiu Rodak on Unsplash.


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COMMENTS


5 responses to “The Heroes We Need Right Now”

  1. Don Conger says:

    You are a hero we need right now, too, Sarah Condon!

  2. Jen says:

    Love love love Mo Willems, we need more Mo always! Can’t beat ’em.

  3. Kathleen says:

    Oh this is so wonderful! thanks.

  4. Wendy says:

    Aww love it! Thank you Sarah! This gave me a good laugh: “It turns out y’all aren’t all ankle-length denim skirts.” Haha! 😀 Not so much of a tip, but it works, making paper airplanes is great fun for the kids. They can make as many as they want, any color, and test them in the back yard. Youtube has great tutorials. Paper Airplanes might keep you sane. 🙂 You might end up with an airport in your back yard, but hey!

    Love the story of your daughter at the grocery store. So cute! #savethegrandparentssavetheworld. Yes! 🙂

  5. Laura J. says:

    Ha ????. Love you Sarah! You always make me giggle. We need our humor heroes too!

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