My thoughts are with you if you are a parent who sent your child back to school and in-person learning this week, on the heels of another COVID-ladened holiday season.

Well, that’s when my thoughts are not with me, which, these days is all the time, because as a mother to three young children I cannot stop my worrisome thinking.

Before the holiday break, my kids had finally taken their masks off.

Fully vaxxed and given the "OK" from their pediatrician, they had no doubt earned a mask break.

Yesterday, they returned to school in one.

For how long? I don't know.

But you know what I do know?

Kids are f*ckin' amazing.

Not one of my children pitched a fit or put up a fuss about having to put that dang thing back on.

Do they enjoy wearing it? Of course not.

Do they understand the importance of it? I really believe so.

Do they trust that their parents are trying really hard to keep up with what the "right," and “safest" thing to do is? They do.

Are we the most consistent? No, we’re not.

But we’re consistently doing our best and we try really dang hard to ride the line that is being aware and smart, yet realistic and not overdramatic.

This pandemic is hella confusing, but do you know what is completely clear to me and should be to you?

That today’s youth is going to grow up into the most resilient bunch of kindhearted, humbly self-aware, others-focused, socially responsible, humor-wielding and good-to-the-core humans this world has ever seen.

And I’m here for it. I can’t wait for it.

I’m grateful to live in their presence.