Children express their joy with their movement, eyes, smiles and conversation. You can spot joyful children from a distance. I was reminded of that yesterday when I watched the neighborhood children play. My neighbors have quaranteamed which means they're working together to support all their children and each other. They are doing an amazing job balancing work and childcare together. It's an ideal that I wish for every family in the United States during this pandemic and beyond. As I repeat often, one promise this pandemic holds is to uplift families, neighborhoods, and communities in ways that create joy. How can we do this?
Share your strengths
Find ways to share your strengths in safe ways with family members and the community. For example, one neighbor, a retired teacher, has offered to read to neighborhood children regularly--this is awesome. Other neighbors exchange childcare. Sometimes we bake and cook for one another. There are countelss ways that we can reach out to help one another.
Lobby for positive supports
There are countless positive ways that we can uplift communities. I'm a big fan of more biking/walking paths in our relatively busy part of the country--this would create opportunities for healthier activity in safe ways. We need to think more about sustainable, local agriculture so everyone has access to healthy food, and we have to find ways to clean up and strengthen neighborhood structures and open spaces--everyone deserves a good home and positive, clean places to recreate. Further, we need to find ways to make health care affordable and accessible. Schools need our support too--a well educated population is a more peaceful, positive, and happy people.
Do your part
Make sure you are doing your part. None of us can be all things, but we all have something positive to contribute--make time everyday to do your part.
Joyful children
When the country's children are joyful, the country will be strong. It is every community's responsibility to find ways to create joy for children and everyone else. That's a great aim, one that will make us all happier and stronger. Onward.