I was you, and so were your parents.

This is a picture of Frankfurt Germany in 1947.

This is my mom's home town, and in 1947, she was 15 years old. This is what it looked like 2 years *after the bombings by allied forces to end the reign of Hitler. 2 years.

My mom spoke to me my whole life about sacrifices.

What things were like in her home town, where a dictator ruled, and it took the absolute destruction of all she knew, to bring the dictator down and out of power, so she and my family would be able to live free again. That was their Coronavirus.

When you're young, these are the kinds of stories your parents share, and we roll our eyes, pay half attention, nod as though we're listening, and then quickly move on.

I know very early on I did the same thing.

You're probably hearing some of those very types of stories right now from those trying to teach you about sacrifice, and helping you understand as we navigate this crazy time.

But in the coming years, your attitude and understanding is going to grow. You will look back on this difficult time and realize sacrifices made, were good ones. And you learned things about yourself. You became stronger. You became wiser. You became more caring. You found out how little you needed to actually keep your mind busy. You found the glory in simply being alone, or the joy of just being with your family or someone you care about.

What you may not see, is that you're currently writing the very story of sacrifice and lessons learned, that you'll share with your kids 20 years from now.

It's hard to see because you're in the middle of it day-to-day. But The restrictions, the changes, out of school for weeks, which will likely be months, which likely could be the rest of the school year. The hard times your parents are experiencing, watching all they've worked for and invested for years in a 401k, dwindle to nearly half the value of what it was just months ago. Jobs lost. Businesses closing, and many may never open again. Life brought to a grinding halt. Sacrifices being made. Which bills to pay, how do we pay them, how much do we have left to buy food.

The stress is palpable.

And it's everywhere. You can't escape it. It's going to last a while. This won't be over in a week or two.

That is why this is a defining moment that you will always remember.

Can you see your future self telling your son or daughter about this?

I can. :)

Because I was you, so were your parents.

That's how this life works.

A generation learns, then passes it on.

But the beautiful thing is, this story has a beginning, which we've already seen, it has a middle, which we are currently in, and then it will have an end, which is yet to be written.

You may see the great Covid outbreak of 2020 as having changed your routine, taken away time with friends, ruined sports, events, concerts, gatherings and more. You may see it as frustrating, and ridiculous and never-ending.

But I promise the future you, in 20 years, will look directly into your kid's eyes, and share a different picture.

One of immense sacrifice and concern, but also strength.

You'll tell the stories of how people around you came together, family, friends, to help. How you rallied with those around you to protect our weakest, by doing the right thing, as hard as it was. How you handed out meals to those who have lost their jobs. Including some of your best friends in class. How school districts scaled a mountain in just days, figuring out how to take an entire student body online. How your parents struggled, how it affected your family, how you coped. Then, ultimately, how you got through and thrived because you came out stronger, wiser, and more determined on the other side.

That is the story you are writing right now.

How do I know?

Because I was you, and so were your parents.