I feel deeply for all the families struggling through the pandemic, but having my daughter with me for school-at-home has actually given me one of the best years I can remember.
I’ve worked at home most of my life, first as a musician, now as a writer and designer. I feel lucky to be a working artist, but the days have always been a bit lonely. Now they’re not. My daughter and I take snack and lunch breaks together. We take walks around the neighborhood that usually turn into races. I help with her writing and math. We mess around no end. We still get our work done.
I want her to have her normal life back, but it’s also been amazing watching her become a true digital native – a third grader creating presentations with Google Slides and coding apps, playing multi-player online games with friends, taking dance classes via YouTube, and teaching her grandparents how to use their iPad so they can FaceTime more easily.
I want this pandemic to end, for all of us, but I’m going to miss the hell out of her when she goes back to school.