If you’re not grieving, stop being so sad.

At least try.

Memories pop up on Facebook from 10 years ago and I have to convince myself that it wasn’t just last year.

Time is like the mercury from a shattered glass thermometer: once neatly contained, now rolling around in little balls, slipping and sliding around when trying to grasp it.

I’m scared that another 10 years will pass and I’ll find myself feeling like it’s only been a few months.

Or worse, a cruel enemy might capture my body and confine it to a hospital bed prison as life goes on around me.

Maybe I won’t even be a part of this amazing planet in 10 years.

I know why kids hate Facebook … and the news … and their parents that drink too much wine with their boring parent friends: it’s a bunch of adults who use these tools to spread sadness and commiserate with other sad people. It’s like the cool thing for old people to do – out sad each other.

The kids haven’t been beaten down by the world yet. They want to live. They want to make silly videos, not sit for hours searching for depressing quotes to share with their friends so they can all be sad together.

Critics will say, “But it was the year(s) of the pandemic. Who can be happy at a time like this?” To that I say, “But it’s the year(s) of the pandemic. We should’ve taken this lesson and learned – knowing now where our priorities should lie.”

Choose who you want to love.

Choose where you want to spend your time.

Choose to laugh.

If you were in a hospital bed dying of Covid right now, could you look at your short life and say you spent it the way you wanted to?

If the answer is no, make some changes now, no matter what you need to do.

We were given this precious gift, use it wisely and for God’s sake – have some fun!