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Lonzo Ball has had a fascinating first four years in the NBA. He came into the league as the second overall pick of the Lakers, an anticipated franchise cornerstone at point guard, but when LeBron James arrived shortly after, the timeline sped up and Ball’s weaknesses became the focal point over his strengths.

He was dealt to New Orleans in the Anthony Davis trade and saw Brandon Ingram blossom into the Pelicans star, getting a max deal last summer. All the while, Ball has steadily improved and posted the best season of his career in 2020-21, averaging 14.6 points, 5.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game on 41.4/37.8/78.1 shooting splits (career-bests in efficiency across the board). That uptick in shooting (back-to-back years at 37 percent from three), coupled with his passing vision and abilities as a defender made him an intriguing free agent to many, as the Pelicans seemed more than willing to let him walk as a restricted free agent.

As the clock struck 6 p.m. ET on Monday, Ball became the first deal reported of the free agency cycle, with a 4-year, $85 million agreement with the Chicago Bulls, per Shams Charania, who were long considered a top landing spot for Ball.

https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1422316300676829193

UPDATE: As expected, the Pelicans weren’t interested in matching that deal for Ball, but did work out a sign-and-trade to recoup some players in return, as Tomas Satoransky and Garrett Temple will head back to New Orleans in return for Lonzo.

The deal gives New Orleans some backcourt depth in Satoransky as they have plenty of point guard questions to answer now, while the Bulls get their top free agent target and pair ball with Zach LaVine in the backcourt as a duo that makes some sense in how they each make up for the other’s deficiencies on both ends of the floor.

Seven years ago, Bill Murray shared a powerful story about the importance of art. The revelation came during a discussion at the National Gallery in London for the release of 2014’s “The Monuments Men.” The film is about a troop of soldiers on a mission to recover art stolen by the Nazis.

After his first time performing on stage in Chicago, Murray was so upset with himself that he contemplated taking his own life.

“I wasn’t very good, and I remember my first experience, I was so bad I just walked out — out onto the street and just started walking,” he said.

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“I then thought, well if I’m going to die where I am I may as well go over towards the lake and float for a while after I’m dead,” he continued. “So I walked over towards the lake and as I got there I hit Michigan Avenue and so I started walking north and I ended up in front of the art institute in Chicago.

Murray entered the building and was transformed after seeing “The Song Of The Lark,” a painting by 19th-century French Naturalist Jules Adolphe Breton.

Bill Murray talks about the painting that stopped him from committing suicide after being asked if there were a mom… https://t.co/mcmbaZSuOe

— Spence, Todd (@Todd_Spence)
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Murray describes the painting as a “woman working in a field and there’s sunrise behind her.” The painting reminded Murray that every day brings new opportunities.

“And I saw it that day and I thought, ‘Well there’s a girl who doesn’t have a whole lot of prospects, but the sun’s coming up anyway and she’s got another chance at it,'” he said.

“So I think that gave me some sort of feeling that I too am a person and I get another chance every day the sun comes up,” he said.

It’s believed that the painting is titled “The Song of the Lark” because the small birds are known for singing every morning at sunrise. The woman in the painting appears to be transfixed by one in the air.

In 1918, American art teacher Flora Carpenter wrote that Breton was inspired to create the painting after hearing the song of a lark and finding it by tracking the gaze of a peasant girl.

“As you know, an English lark sings while flying high in the air instead of in the treetops as other birds do,” Carpenter wrote. “Its song, too, is longer and far more beautiful than that of our lark, and has been the subject of many poems.”

Sometimes it can be hard to figure out what the right thing to do is. But other times it’s incredibly simple.

When Barbara Mack saw an unhoused man suffering in the Florida heat outside a convenience store, giving him a bottle of water was simply the right thing to do. But unfortunately, not everyone saw it that way.

Mack shared the story of a woman criticizing her for her act of kindness—and the awesome reaction of those who witnessed it all—in a Facebook post that’s gone viral.

Mack wrote:

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“I may have inadvertently started a revolution in the convenience store today.

I stopped to grab a water, and on the way in I saw a homeless man I know sitting in the shade with his bike beside him. He was red-faced and shaky looking. I asked if he was ok, and he told me that he was just resting. This guy’s got the mind of a child, and I’m afraid he doesn’t know he needs to stay extra hydrated when it’s super hot outside.

There were a bunch of people in line in front of me and only one cashier, so I grabbed two waters and yelled to the cashier that I was taking one to the guy outside and I’d be right back (I’m a regular there).

When I came back in, the lady in front of me turned around, hands on hips, and told me that I was just enabling that ‘homeless person’ (said with a sneer) and that I shouldn’t be wasting my money on him.

It’s hot as hell in Florida right now. Mid nineties with humidity around 80%. It’s a good day for heat stroke, and I told her so. I said I’d rather give him a water than call an ambulance.

I was gonna shrug it off. Let it go. Chalk it up to ignorance and the heat making everybody cranky.

And then she told me I should be ashamed of myself. That someone should call the police on him, and that it should be illegal to beg for money. That people who give the homeless money just encourage them to stay homeless and that should be illegal, too.

Ashamed. I should be ashamed for giving some poor old guy a water – it cost a whole dollar, BTW – and I should get in trouble for making sure he didn’t stroke out in this heat.

I guess I look nice. Approachable. Like I wouldn’t rip your head off. I am nice, most of the time.

But not always.

And I lost my temper.

I told her to call a cop and report me for buying shit at a convenience store.

I told her that I wasn’t in the damn mood for crazy right now. That it’s a hundred fucking degrees outside, and I’m hot and tired and sick to death of stupid people. That if she had an ounce of compassion in her whole body, she’d buy him a cold drink, too. That maybe she should figure out why she needs to accost complete strangers. And how’s about after that, she back the fuck up outta my face and outta my business and turn back around and not say one more damn word to me.

I’m just about deaf in one ear. I try to modulate my voice. Unless I get angry.

It got pretty loud there at the end. There was dead silence in the store and then someone said loudly “For real!”

And the guy at the front of the line told the cashier to add a sandwich to his purchases for the guy outside.

The guy behind him bought an extra ice cream. The girl behind HIM got change for a twenty ’cause that guy could probably use some cash.’

Every single person in line got him something. Every one, except the now very embarrassed lady in front of me, who slunk out without saying another word.

When I got to the cashier, she didn’t charge me for either of the waters, because she was going to take him one anyway. And mine was free because of the entertainment.

When I went outside, he was eating his ice cream and drinking his water with a pile of stuff all around him, a big old grin on his face. He didn’t look shaky anymore.

And there, people, is the story of why I hate people. And why I love people. All in the same damned minute.

I sat in the car and drank my water and laughed with tears in my eyes, same as I’m doing now.”

Mack’s story has been shared more than 127,000 times, and she has also shared a follow-up post sharing a bit about herself and saying that the positive feedback she’s received about the story has been “beautiful.”

“I don’t have a lot extra,” she wrote. She lives in a small camper in an RV park and lost her earring-selling business in the pandemic. She’s a sculptor as well, and she had about a dozen art shows canceled in 2020. She sells antiques and art on Etsy, works doing meal delivery, and also does some freelance writing. She knows what it’s like to struggle.

“Basically, I am doing everything I can to keep myself together,” she wrote. “Because I’m all over the place delivering food, I see a lot of homeless people. That could have been me on the side of the road, if I hadn’t been lucky. I remember that, every day.”

She also included some information about the man she helped.

“I talked to the homeless guy, and he doesn’t want a picture up,” she wrote. “Also, I spoke with his social worker. She told me it would be good if this emphasized that he’s had 2 home placements and he just does not do well being indoors. His disability doesn’t keep him from making that decision, and he does receive a small check each month, which she helps him with.”

Homelessness is a complex societal issue to solve, for sure. But when the individual in front of you has a clear and immediate need, and you see a simple and immediate way to meet it, you do so. As Mack showed, it doesn’t require extreme abundance. It doesn’t require laws to be passed. It doesn’t require professional intervention or collective political will. All it requires is keeping an eye out for our fellow humans and a compassionate heart.

Thank you, Ms. Mack, and the rest of the customers in that convenience store, for leading by example.

This article originally appeared on 3.18.20

“Generation X” got its name in the early ’90s from an article turned book by Canadian writer Douglas Coupland. And ever since, they’ve been fighting or embracing labels like “slacker” and “cynic.” That is, until Millennials came of age and all that “you kids today” energy from older generations started to get heaped on them. Slowly, Gen X found they were no longer being called slackers… they weren’t even being mentioned at all. And that suits them just fine.

Here are 17 memes that will resonate with just about anyone born between 1965 and 1980.

Gen X basically invented “Whatever.”

SOURCE: TWITTER

Until recently, Generation X has been sitting back and watching as Millennials and Boomers eat each other with an amused, non-confrontational attitude. But recently, Millennials and Gen Z became aware of their presence, and dubbed them “The Karen generation.”

They seem to be embracing the Karen thing.

SOURCE: TWITTER

While I”m pretty sure the “Karen” thing is not complimentary — as BuzzFeed puts it, it’s meant to communicate someone who is “the middle-aged white mom who is always asking for the manager and wondering why kids are so obsessed with their identities,” lots of people landed on a different Karen to represent the generation: the martini-guzzling, wise-cracking Karen Walker.

Get it right!

SOURCE: TWITTER

Well [expletive] me gently with a chainsaw, she’s right. The 1980s cult classic starring Winona Ryder and Shannen Doherty really is the Mean Girls of the ’80s and a much better term than Karen

The disdain is mutual…

SOURCE: TWITTER

Most of my Gen X friends have Gen Z kids and they are intergenerationally very chill with each other. However, Gen X is the generation most likely to have Boomer parents and younger millennial kids, and this meme seems to be resonating a bunch with Xers of a certain age.

A lot of Xers are enjoying the “OK boomer” squabble.

SOURCE: TWITER

The media tends to ignore Generation X as a whole — as a few tweets coming up demonstrate — and this pleases Gen X just fine. After all, they’re used to it. They were latchkey kids whose parents both worked long hours, so they’re used to being somewhat neglected.

A whole mood.

SOURCE: TWITTER

Gen X: “Look, don’t pull us into this. You’ll make me spill my beer.”

Gen X: Get used to it.

Perhaps Gen X’s blasé attitude to the generation wars has something to do with being called “Slackers” for a full decade.

Pass the popcorn.

SOURCE: TWITTER

Aside from this whole “Karen generation” blip, Gen X continues to be largely overlooked, and that fact — as well as their silent delight in it — is possibly one of the most Generation X things to happen to the class of 1965 to 1980.

Pay no attention to the man behind the venetian blinds.

SOURCE: TWITER

Back in the ’90s, Gen X bore the same kind of criticism Boomers tend to heap on Millennials and Gen Z now. It’s not necessarily that they want to watch a cage match. It’s just they’re so relieved it’s someone else being called slackers and downers for a change.

See?

SOURCE: TWITTER

Although this chart doesn’t list the generation names, the approximate age ranges are all there… except for a big gap between the ages of 34 and 54 where apparently no humans were born? Poor Gen X (and some elder Millennials) apparently don’t have political beliefs worth examining.

Don’t you forget about me…

SOURCE: TWITTER

If Millennials are the “burnout generation,” I guess Gen X is truly the invisible generation. I’m starting to feel inspired to write a science fiction novel where everyone born from 1966 to 1980 inhabits a totally different dimension.

There are perks to being invisible…

SOURCE: TWITTER

Being overlooked can be an advantage when you just want to sit in the corner and be immature. Gen X spent all of the 90s being told they were immature slackers, and in their 40s, a lot of them are really leaning into that description, because what does it matter?

“No one cares what we think anyway…”

This GIF of Janeane Garofolo mocking her classmates at the high school reunion is basically a whole Gen X mood and definitely captures how a lot of this generation caught in the middle feels about the “OK boomer” wars.

Party on.

SOURCE: TWITTER

Before Brené Brown was telling us all how to dare greatly, Gen X got their inspirational advice from a different kind of TED and his pal Bill, who taught us all how important it is to learn from history and be excellent to each other.

Too late and yet too early.

SOURCE: TWITER

Romance — or getting lucky — was never easy for Generation X. They were the generation most impacted by the AIDS epidemic when it comes to anxiety about casual sex. Whereas Boomers had the free love of the late ’60s, Gen X was about safe sex, which usually meant less sex. And even when having safe casual sex, singles in the ’90s had to meet people the old-fashioned way or, if they did meet online, they felt shame over it. Now online dating is the norm.

When Gen X replaces the Boomers.

This is probably an optimistic view — because the truth is there are “Boomers” in every generation, and many of them tend to find their way into powerful positions. Let’s call this a best case scenario, though.

The Nihilism Generation

There is no generation more over it than Gen X. They are ready for the apocalypse, but don’t expect them to, like, help or anything!

Colin Jost’s nostalgic journey through Hollywood continues unabated, and this time he’s taking his brother with him. The Saturday Night Live star and recent Tom and Jerry actor has apparently set his sights on another property from his childhood along with his brother, Casey.

Deadline reported on Monday that the brothers would tackle a movie together from the long-running ’80s IP, with Michael Bay also involved in continuing the franchise where ordinary turtles are doused with radiation and given to an also-irradiated rat to learn martial arts:

Sources tell Deadline that Jost and his brother Casey Jost have been tapped to co-write a new untitled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film for Paramount Pictures.

Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller, Scott Mednick and Galen Walker are on as producers.

Like the past two installments, plot details are being kept under wraps outside of the film revolving around everyone’s favorite pizza-eating, nunchuck-swinging, life-sized turtles.

Colin Jost’s branching out into movies has been gradual, and he’s juggling senior writing duties on SNL and co-anchoring Weekend Update. Casey Jost, meanwhile, has most notably been a producer on a number of Impractical Jokers iterations. As Deadline notes, the live action version of the Turtles got a CGI-heavy reboot in 2014, with an Out Of The Shadows sequel released two years later. But the more modern push for the franchise also comes alongside Seth Rogen’s animated series, which is also in the works.

The Josts have worked together in the past, most notably on Staten Island Summer, but this would be their biggest team-up to date.

(Via Deadline)

If you’re a Scotch whisky drinker, you know that the flavors can be dramatically different, depending on the region producing the juice. Islay is known for its peated, smoky, briny flavors. Speyside is more famous for sweeter, honeyed notes. But both often feature heather — the bogland flowering bush that dominates the moors of Scotland, especially in the Highlands.

The mauve flowers of this bush produce a distinctly Scottish aroma that melds with malts and builds peat, creating an earthy, grassy, and slightly floral aroma and taste in the whisky. It’s very Scotland-specific to the point that Islay beers are brewed with heather flowers instead of hop flowers.

To find the best single malt and blended scotches with hints of heather complimenting predominant flavors of honey and/ or briny smoke, we decided to turn to the pros. We asked a handful of our favorite bartenders to tell us the best whiskies for fans of floral heather flavors. Check them all out below and click on the prices to give these bottles a shot at home.

Aberfeldy 12

Marcio Ramos, partner, and mixologist at The Honey Well in New York City

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $40

Why This Bottle?

Aberfeldy is the epitome of honey and heather in a bottle. I love this stuff and I don’t think you get a better bang for your buck at least for a 12 year. With a creamy nose, floral brightness, and a proper dollop of honey, we have a winner.

I make my old fashioneds with a 1:1 honey syrup, Angostura bitters, and expressed orange peel. It’s a big flex and I recommend you try one at home.

The Singleton 12 Glendullan

Adam Fournier, bar director at The Fellow in Los Angeles

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $42

Why This Bottle?

If you’re looking for a delightful mouthfeel with heather flavors look no further than The Singleton Single Malt. I’m personally a fan of the Singleton 12 Year Glen Ord which is green and grassy. But the Singleton 12 Year Glendullan has a richer sherry finish that has a softer mouthfeel that blends honey and heather. Either way, there’s an amazing range in the Singleton.

Monkey Shoulder

Will Benedetto of Benedetto Hospitality Consulting in New York City

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $32

Why This Bottle?

I’m a big fan of Monkey Shoulder. It’s a very approachable scotch. It features a beautifully fragrant bouquet of dried citrusy heather, sweet raw honey, and black tea bitterness that makes it great for mixing or sipping on the rocks.

Old Pulteney 12

Craig Schoettler, executive director of beverage and corporate mixologist for MGM Resorts in Las Vegas

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $45

Why This Bottle?

Old Pulteney 12 years is aged in ex-bourbon barrels. It’s a bit softer than some of the Highlands sherry cask finished expressions. There’s a maritime breeze over the heather florals, adding a bit of salinity thanks to being located in the northerly most shores of Scotland in Caithness.

Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or

David Wheelahan, bartender at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $75

Why This Bottle?

By itself, my favorite of the sweet heather-influenced scotches is Glenmorangie’s Nectar D’Or. The Sauternes cask finish gives it an unmatched elegance among the single malts with a clear sense of floral honey helping all those malts shine in the glass.

Chivas Regal 12

Andy Shannon, bartender and co-founder of Candra in London

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $26

Why This Bottle?

Chivas Regal 12 would be my recommendation for fans of soft, heather-flavored whiskies. Heather comes through on the nose followed by pear and honey on the palate. Simply mix it with lots and lots of ice and sparkling water to make a delicious highball. It’s a winner.

The Glenlivet 12

Jeff Rogers, bar director of Jester Concepts in Minneapolis

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $39.99

Why This Bottle?

The Highlands, and more specifically Speyside, are home to so many beautiful scotches. The flora really shines in these expressions. The Glenlivet 12 is amazingly subtle and approachable. The heather really shines with the softness of the honeyed malted grain offering a nice balance.

Compass Box King Street Artist’s Blend

Mark Phelan, beverage director at 16” on Center in Chicago

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $40

Why This Bottle?

Compass Box is known for its transparency and willingness to challenge the conventional framework of scotch to find new flavors. Their Artist’s Blend is soft and layered with flavors from floral to honey to mildly peated, so there’s something for everyone hidden in each sip.

Try it in a highball or Penicillin and reap the rewards.

Highland Park 18

Brenna Gay, bartender at Bradford House in Oklahoma City

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $150

Why This Bottle?

My go-to for a delicate but battle-worthy scotch is Highland Park 18. Notes of heather, springtime peat, cherry, honey, and oak delight the casual whisky sipper and can be enjoyed in the summer heat. I would even venture to say it doesn’t need a mixer, just a big ice cube alongside a sunset or special occasion.

Glenmorangie The Original 10

Robert Kidd, head bartender at Le Cavalier in Wilmington, Delaware

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $35

Why This Bottle?

Personally, I like Glenmorangie. This scotch has some lovely honey tones up front that lead into some great floral notes and leaves the pallet with a touch of oak and caramel. It makes for a great summer flavor profile. If I had to pick one, it would be the Original 10-year expression.

Glenfarclas 10

Chris Amirault, bartender and co-owner of PARMBOYZ in Los Angeles

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $50

Why This Bottle?

Anything from Speyside is going to be “softer” because a majority of it is sherry finished. If I had to pick just one bottle known for its soft honey, floral heather, and vanilla flavor, I’d go with Glenfarclas 10.

The Balvenie Doublewood 12

Sebastien Derbomez, manager of brand advocacy at William Grant & Sons

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $65

Why This Bottle?

The Balvenie is characterized by honey and distinct heather flavor and is one of my favorite Speyside single malts. This complex and rich whisky is matured in two different types of oak cask. Also, the Balvenie distillery still grows and malts its own barley while having coopers and coppersmith on-site to make their own barrels, so check out their full range.

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It’s been 19 months since the first case of COVID-19 was identified in Wuhan, China, and since that time, a lot has changed. Cities, states, and entire countries endured rolling shutdowns — or lockdowns. Business shuttered and schools were closed, and life as we knew it changed. From mask mandates to social distancing, every action and behavior was altered. But as infection rates begin to drop, we are making a comeback. Restaurants, movie theaters, and malls are (now) open. Business is (more or less) back, and this fall, most children will return to the classroom. In-person education will resume. But what does life look like in a post-pandemic world, particularly for the youngest members of our society?

“The COVID-19 pandemic affected our kids in many ways that we don’t yet fully understand,” Laura Lofy — a licensed psychologist and school psychologist — tells Upworthy. “Some desperately missed their classmates. Others fell behind on schoolwork, and some became riddled with anxiety and fear. Many regressed on skills they had developed or lost momentum in areas in which they had been making progress.” And one of those areas is interpersonal, i.e. many children are struggling socially, and this has the potential to have a long-lasting impact on our children and the next generation.

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“Since March 2020, there’s been a significant increase in reported youth anxiety, particularly in relation to fears of the coronavirus, along with greater frustration, boredom, insomnia and inattention,” an article on The Conversation explains. “Results of a survey from summer 2020 found that over 45% of adolescents reported symptoms of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress.” Resuming face-to-face interactions is also a major stressor. But what can we do as parents and caregivers to help our children progress? How can we help them (re)acclimate to life? The first thing we should do is temper our (and their) expectations.

“It’s important to have realistic expectations and recognize upfront that this is going to be hard,” pediatric psychologist Kate Eshleman tells the Cleveland Clinic. “Kids haven’t had to share with others, and they haven’t had to talk to unfamiliar adults,” Dr. Eshleman says. “You may see some shyness or kids responding to other people in ways that aren’t typical of how they act around their families.” But these obstacles can be overcome, with time, encouragement, and a bit of guidance.

“I think the most valuable thing that parents can do is ask open-ended questions, listen carefully to what their kids are saying, validate their experiences and feelings, and revisit the topic often and from different angles,” Lofy says. “Including kids in conversations to explore their experiences and understanding of what happened will also be really helpful.”

Photo by Katherine Hanlon on

Not sure how (or where) to begin? Sharing one’s own reflections can be a good jumping off point. “You could say something like, ‘You know, it’s kind of weird going back to work. On one hand, I am excited to see my friends, but on the other hand, I kind of liked being home with my family. What about you and school? How do you feel about going back?’ I highly recommend that parents practice asking open-ended questions, using starters like ‘tell me about…’ and “what was that like for you,'” Lofy adds. “Give them room to speak and then use validation to convey understanding.”

Of course, there are other ways prepare your child for post-pandemic socialization — and post-pandemic life. Start small. Birthday parties and trips to Disney may be overwhelming but an ice cream playdate could be perfect. Give them conversation starters. Communication may be tricky at first, but having ideas can help. Dr. Eshleman and the Cleveland Clinic suggest creating a list of questions and talking points. “Come up with a handful of topics they can ask their friends about in person. Arming them with age-appropriate questions (i.e. ‘Did you go on vacation this summer?’ and ‘What’s your favorite thing for lunch?’) will help kids feel better prepared to converse face to face.” You should also be sympathetic and empathetic. Use validating language and acknowledge their struggles, and take things slow, particularly with toddlers and young children who have had very little or no pre-COVID interactions.

“Hire a babysitter or enlist the help of an extended family member to watch your child while you run errands or even just work in the yard, which will give them practice in being apart from you,” the Cleveland Clinic explains.

That said, this approach will not work for everyone. Some children are experiencing higher levels of anxiety, and not everyone is ready for social re-entry — and that’s okay. Getting back to “normal” will take time. But according to Tiiu Lutter, a licensed therapist and the co-founder of Thriving Families Center, these fears should be addressed sooner than later.

“When left alone, anxiety gets worse, so the sooner it is faced and handled, the quicker it goes away.” ‘

But what can you do? According to Lofy, you should acknowledge their fears, normalize their feelings, you should help them assess the situation — and weigh the real versus perceived risk — and come up with a plan to move forward. Having executable steps helps.

“If your child experiences social anxieties, you should start a conversation about their fears,” Lofy says. “What is it they are concerned about? Put their fears into a ‘normal’ context. Reassure them their feelings are normal and that other kids are nervous as well. They are not alone in feeling anxious. You should also have a plan for their anxiety. Prime your child for a social event. Talk with them about what they will be doing and who will be there. Practice your deep breathing before the event, and before you get out to the car practice your strategies, remind your child they will be safe and you want them to have fun.”

If your child is still unable to move forward, you may want to enlist the help of a trained professional. Clinical psychologists, school psychologists, and child therapists have tools that we as parents do not. Another great resource, particularly for teens, is Crisis Text Line. This is free, 24/7 service puts your child in touch with a trained crisis counselor immediately, via text.

It’s hard to believe that summer is almost over and the back-to-school season is right around the corner. The school year is approaching fast and since many kids have been home pandemic schooling for the past year and a half the return of “normal” is likely to bring kids and parents alike some anxiety about what the return to school will look like.

We have all been living through an extended trauma and this past year has impacted us in ways that we may not even realize—and we may not come to realize the scale in which we have been altered for years to come. Just as we have been learning to cope and navigate the world during a global pandemic, so have our children. They’ve been expected to perform at pre-pandemic levels for quite some time; this doesn’t negate their very real reality of pandemic life.

Kids have had to readjust socially, and in many children this has caused a loss of social skills and increase in social anxiety. With school quickly approaching and the push for schools to open back to full capacity, it’s completely normal to have heightened anxiety around the traditional opening of schools. How we handle this anxiety and prepare our children for their own challenges can make all the difference between having a rocky start to an already stressful new school year.

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Checking in with your child on their feelings about returning to school should be the first step. Find out what their comfort level is and what they expect school to look like when they return. Then do some research to find out if the school’s Covid policy for this year will allow your child’s expectations to be met or if you need to help your child reexamine their expectations with the reality of the school district’s policy.

Every school district likely has its own rules. Some may be requiring masks and social distancing, while others may be going back to pre-pandemic schooling, taking their chances without masks, trusting that families will do what’s best for them. It’s hard to say which schools will follow the CDC guidelines and which ones won’t, so it’s important to be informed about what your child’s school is doing and evaluate your family’s comfort level.

Practice some conversation starters. Especially if your child is generally shy or has developed some social anxiety. Masks make it more difficult to read facial expressions, and the traditional way of showing you’re friendly or happy with something someone said is obscured. Having some phrases to pull out in a pinch may help your child feel more at ease in the school setting. These things don’t have to be anything in depth, but the discussion about the possibility of a compliment helping to break the ice can calm an anxious child who may not have been in the physical classroom for an extended period of time.

It can be helpful to look at the things your child can control if hesitancy to return to the classroom is high. In a school setting this can get a little tricky, but if the school does not require masks and your child is more comfortable wearing a mask, that is something they can absolutely control. They can wear a mask. They can carry hand sanitizer and travel disinfectant wipes. They can also look to create their trusted group of friends to keep in their safe bubble. These would be the friends that are adhering closely to the personal guidelines that your child is most comfortable with. This will allow them to continue to socialize in and out of school, which will help with feelings of social isolation, depression and anxiety.

At the end of the day, school is coming back in a traditional way whether we are ready or not, so ensuring your child is prepared as best they can be will help decrease the stress surrounding the return. Introducing coping skills that kids can do from their desks in the event that their anxiety peaks is one of the most helpful preparation tools you can provide. Tools like deep breathing, grounding techniques such as the 5-4-3-2-1 method, a small stress ball, or a piece of felt with a calming scent sprayed on it that they can pull out and smell are all easy and helpful. Practicing these things before the first day of school will help it become easier for children to do if and when they need to center themselves. They’re also helpful outside of the classroom for anyone who may be experiencing anxiety or stress.

The return of school is stressful during normal times, but even more so now. As parents, we can do our best to not only prepare our children through conversations and introducing new skills, but we can give them more of a leg up by modeling the skills they can use when possible. Kids are more likely to do what they see, and if they see you using the skills you’re teaching them, they’re more likely to use them when you’re not around.

Jacalyn Wetzel, MSW, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker and therapist as well as a mom herself.

Yesterday I was hiking along a river with 12-year-old and 7-year-old daughters. We were about an hour from our home in rural Oregon, and someone told us there was a waterfall about half a mile away. It was probably some of the clearest water I’ve ever seen, almost bathwater clear, and it was a place we’d always talked about going to as a family, but never actually had the time. We were all in swimming suits and we jumped in pools along the way.

We chatted about who knows what, taking our time, just trying to get the most out of the summer. My wife and son were behind us, checking out a pool on the other side of the river that they thought looked interesting. We planned to meet up later at the van, drive back into town, and get some drive-thru.

Naturally, this outing doesn’t sound like much, but we’ve been doing a lot of these little afternoon trips to different locations around Oregon this summer. When we haven’t gone on family hikes, we’ve watched movies every night after dinner. We’ve shared almost every meal together, gone on walks as a family around our neighborhood, and rode bike rides across town. On the weekends, we almost always roast marshmallows in our backyard.

To contrast this with the summer of 2019—or as many summers as I can recall as a working father and husband—I’ve never had this kind of time to spend with my kids. Never. I work two jobs, one in education and another as a freelance writer. On a normal day, I’d get up around 5 AM to write, then drive 30 min to my university job, work until 6 PM or later, drive home, have dinner, get the kids to bed, and then maybe write some more before going to bed. My wife also works full-time in education, so most of our interactions have involved coordinating our lives so we can set sail in different directions, managing our work lives and our children’s lives.

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Weekends have always been filled with sports, or summer camps, or church activities, or shuttling kids to friends’ houses. We’d often take a week off here or there to drive to visit Grandmas, aunts, and uncles, all in different states, rushing from one house to another to see everyone, and then rush home. All so I could get back to getting up before my children to rush into work and getting home with just enough time to share a meal and hassle them into bed.

But now, in the summer of 2021, I’m kind of in this strange middle zone. I’m still working from home for the time being, so there’s no commute. The summer programs I usually run were reduced because of budget cuts, so I have more time to be with my kids than I’ve ever had in my nearly 15 years as a dad.

I have to admit, right now I’m kind of dreading sending them back to school. It seems so clear that life is going to go back to what it was before, and I feel a very urgent need to get the most out of this summer.

Don’t get me wrong—the pandemic has been terrible. My wife spent just over three weeks in the hospital last October, three of those days in the ICU, and I’ve never been so afraid of losing the most wonderful person in my life. Having the kids learning from home while my wife and I worked from home was easily one of the most stressful experiences of my life. And all of this is just what I’ve gone through personally. It doesn’t even touch on the financial hardships and the heartbreaking loss of life that literally millions of people have gone through in the past 18 months.

But right now, I feel like I have this opportunity to be with my kids before the madness of school, working endless hours to make ends meet, and extracurricular activities come kicking in my door again. I have this time to just hang out and chat with my three kids, listening to their dorky laughter as we play another round of UNO or as my 12-year-old daughter breaks into her hilarious impersonation of a squid.

So I’m doing everything I can to maximize it this time. I’m savoring it because I know that I might never have it again. We are doing all the hikes we’ve thought about but never done. We are watching all the movies we’ve talked about streaming but never had the time to actually stream. We are sharing all the meals, and all the laughs, and all the time that we’ve never had before.

And I must say, I’m loving it.

Clint Edwards is the creator of the daddy blog No Idea What I’m Doing. He is a parenting contributor to the New York Times and the Washington Post. He has been featured on Good Morning America, the Today Show, and The View, and he is the author of three books on parenting. The most recent is Fatherish.

The Last Mercenary (Netflix film) — Jean-Claude Van Damme gets flexible again while starring as an ex-secret service agent (in France) who turns into, well, a mercenary. There are mob hijinks and a reckless youngster and bureaucrats and an errant son and yeah, this sounds like 1980s movie that landed three decades too late, but hey, we could all use some silly action on our screens to make us forget about the effects of gravity.

Jungle Cruise: (Disney film on Disney+) — Emily Blunt might be the star of the summer (after A Quiet Place 2‘s success) if this long-awaited potential blockbuster’s a hit, and the excellent news is that you can watch it in theaters or your living room. She punches The Rock in this movie, and he plays the shipper who’s attempting to guide her down the river through life-threatening obstacles. This movie’s based upon a Disney theme park ride, so expect plenty of ridiculousness including Jesse Plemons firing a torpedo at the duo after brandishing a German accent and Paul Giamatti with a pretty bird.

Outer Banks: Season 2 (Netflix series) — This is not your typical teen drama. Last season delivered loads of intrigue and flat-out woo-woo revelations following a hurricane and buried treasure and class warfare between different factions in an overall well-to-do community. There are Kooks and Pogues, and the power’s gone for the entirety of the summer, which sounds miserable, but the mysteries won’t stop, including the whereabouts of John B.’s dad. And oh yes, there’s so much soapiness to the characters’ dynamics that you might lose your footing while slipping towards that sunken treasure.

And back to your regularly scheduled programming:

Small Town News: KPVM Pahrump (HBO, 9:00pm) — This documentary series (from members of HBO’s recent Catch and Kill: The Podcast Tapes) dives into the usually unseen happenings at a rare privately-owned TV station. There are only 95 of these left in the U.S., and KPVM Pahrump happens to be just outside of Las Vegas, where a scrappy broadcaster’s hoping to edge into a larger market. Enjoy this colorful cast of characters and their resilient spirit during the most challenging of times.

The Beast Must Die: (AMC, 9:00pm) — Jared Harris and Cush Jumbo star in this revenge-thriller series (which originally aired on BritBox UK and achieved a viewing record) that has already been renewed for a second season. The newest installment sees Francis’s plan progress.

Roswell, New Mexico (CW, 8:00pm) — Maria will stop at nothing to thwart a murder while Jones must fill everyone in on past events in order to protect Max’s life.

The Republic Of Sarah (CW, 9:00pm) — This show follows the ending of tranquility of Greylock, N.H., after a stash of valuable coltan leads to new overlords, and a rebellious teacher (Sarah Cooper) steps in to halt the madness. This week, Sarah receives unanticipated guests amid a massive snowstorm, and road clearing is also the name of the game.