The Lukas / McLaughlin family

Hello fellow Parishioners. We are the Lukas / McLaughlin family - My name is Shannon and my family members in the photo are Len, Cindy, Natalie, Scott and my niece Aubrey. These past two months have proven to be very difficult as two of the four essential workers in our family are still working while trying to remain safe and healthy. Social distancing and isolation is our number one priority as we have a new baby to care for. Our family is extremely close and spent a lot of time together prior to covid, so everyday is now a struggle as we are missing out on so many of my nieces first moments. 
We have been keeping in contact daily through video chats so that we can see the baby and although we are physically distant, I feel as if this time has brought our family even closer together. We help one another with errands and groceries without hesitation and we don't think twice about insignificant issues that may have caused arguments in the past. Our daily conversations, the window visits and the drive by shout outs tug at our hearts a little deeper and are often the little moments that get us through the day. 
Being in isolation and lock-down opens your eyes to a lot of things that you may have unknowingly taken for granted. In 25 years I have never missed a Christmas or an Easter mass. This year not being able to attend mass during Easter really made myself and my family feel empty inside. We are so grateful that the parishes are offering online services because there is no way we would be getting through this without our faith. In a time when we are literally required to be alone, I have leaned on God more then ever and I feel his love and his presence through each one of my family members, especially my niece. 
As this pandemic continues to put peoples lives on hold, I have found that it has also given people the time and opportunity to really reflect on what is most important in our lives - our family and friends, our faith, patience, understanding, and forgiveness. Although we are all hurting and dealing with this situation in our own ways, we have faith that God is hearing our prayers and that this to shall pass. We pray that all our fellow parishioners stay safe and healthy and that you continue to believe and trust that God is always with us!