It feels near impossible to determine the truth and “real facts” vs. fake news on social media right now. Even with a Master’s degree and years teaching research I find myself at a loss to know what and who to trust for solid information. All outlets seem to be clamoring for attention and integrity of this information feels questionable.

So I have to accept right now I am not getting straight talk or real facts about what is going on in the world based let alone what the future may look like. At least not through the sources I may have relied upon in the past.

I have decided to instead choose to focus on the truth found in other areas of life. Yes a lot has changed and a lot about our future (and our exit plan/strategy from this whole thing) feels uncertain. But there are some truths that have not changed- about life, about those I care about, about the world and that can help keep me grounded.

I have to choose to trust in what is unchanging. I mean as simple as it is: the sky is still blue, the grass is green, it is the month of May. I love my family and they love me. I have good friends I can talk to who understand me and how this all affect me. The sun comes up and goes down.

I am loving being in nature and doing nature learning with my son right now: the plant cycle, the water cycle, the weather and their functions have not changed. We still eat and sleep-live and breathe- and I don’t want to take any of these beautifully complex and yet simple concepts for granted. Creation is still creating.  Life goes on. In that I find hope and peace.

Being thankful for the simple things may sound basic but it help keep me rooted. Taking my mind off of current circumstances, what I cannot control or make sense of is essential. Instead I am disciplining myself to focus on what is constant, semi-permanent, or eternal. Like having food to eat, roof over our head, jobs, each other, beautiful nature to explore right out our door, family that is safe and healthy we can connect with (even if not in person).

As hard as the everyday routine has become there is also some beauty to be found in what we can rely on: there will be dishes to wash-tomorrow. There will be laundry. There will be food to make and coffee to drink. These are blessings, as deep undercover as they seem they are there. My son will take a nap. The day will end: the sun will go down. I will get a chance to sleep and the sun will come up again in the morning

For all of this all of these truths I am thankful.

What better time or opportunity do we have to be present: to focus on what is right in front of us? It’s time to let go of what we think we know is happening down the street-across the country-in the white house- or around the world. It’s time to focus instead on where we literally are: in our car, house, on couch or better yet: in our heads-what we see before our eyes.

This is the perfect time to reconnect with yourself-become more aware of what you feel and think. Of what you can be thankful for: here and now.

This choice is not only a daily one for me right now; sometimes it is an hour to hour decision: trust in the simple truths of life and to be thankful for them.