Just as our world was starting to feel a bit more ‘normal’ … whatever that means anyway, we got news that we never expected to hear.

Haven, our dear 7-year old, started running a fever over the weekend and we decided that it would be safe to take her to the doctor Monday to make sure all was well. I had full confidence in the notion that it was probably strep, a head cold or an upper respiratory virus. Upon arrival, they immediately gave her a COVID test ‘just to be safe.’ The doctor did her usual checkup and assured us that it was probably nothing more than a virus and that we would be on our way sooner vs later.

Then.. she returned to the room with papers held over her face in dismay as she informed us that Haven did indeed have the Corona Virus and that our entire family would have to be quarantined for the next 14 days.

“Wait, what?” I asked in dismay. “Are you serious?”

I honestly couldn’t believe my ears. Not for a moment did I consider that this could be a possibility. I mean, out of our entire family, Haven is the most ‘quarantined’ of all. My husband goes to work everyday, I am in and out of the studio working, little sis went back to school last week and Haven has been virtually learning since the beginning of September.

As we talked about all the precautions that needed to be in place and the ‘rules’ for the next 14 days I sat in a state of shock. “How does my 7- year old have COVID?”

Everything felt very REAL and simultaneously RAW.

Then, as we sat there taking in the news, I look over to see Haven well up with tears. The words that came out of her mouth brought me to my knees.

“Mommy, am I going to die?”

Oh my Good Lord! “No baby, no” I reassured her as the doctor began to follow suit. I tell ya, when your 7-year old asks if she is going to die you start to listen.

Haven finally calmed down, we all listened to the facts and then we went on our way to start nesting down for the next 2 weeks. It all felt extremely surreal and hard to believe, but I also reminded myself that we have been here before and in the words of Glennon Doyle…

“We can do hard things.”

When we arrived home we put in a large Instacart order (I mean.. how did we survive before this), began writing the emails and texts to alert everyone we had been around in the last 14 days and alerted the school that Miles would not return for at least 2 weeks to her classroom. It was a bit of a deja vu moment to say the least.

As I sat there racking my brain of all the steps I needed to take, I remembered an very important lesson that I learned not so long ago.

“When everything around you feels uncertain, what are the things you know to be certain and true?“

• We will get through this, and we will be stronger on the other end of it
• Human beings are RESILIENT!
• Our health can never be taken for granted, not for one moment
• We have to take care of each other
• We have a beautiful home that we have intentionally created where we can land
• We have a back yard where the girls can play and run off some steam
• We have a tribe of prayer warriors (speaking to you Mom, and all the others) lifting our entire family up
• We have each other
• We have faith in the knowing that we are always being deeply cared for
• We have a choice of how we want to look at this and how we move forward from here
• We have family, friends, teachers, co-workers, neighbors and a multitude of others checking in and reminding us how much we are loved
• We have medications to manage her symptoms
• We have access to the world at our fingertips as/if needed
• We can do hard things

As I stood there going over this list in my head, my heart began to soften and the fear that had entered began to release. What I know to be true and certain shone brightly in my soul and allowed me to step into the next 14 days in a different state of gratitude, certainty and grace.

“We can do hard things and we will. Take care of you and the ones you love.“