Monthly Musing – April 2020 – Superheroes

My husband spotted this picture shared on Twitter the other day …

I don’t know the source to credit the words, or even if all teachers agree with it, but they made me feel better.  This superpower that will make sure that small daughter (currently attempting to use her own superpowers to fight off the evil scourge of online schoolwork) will be just fine, has worked its magic on her Mum too, and pulled me back from the brink of becoming  supremely irritating constant “why aren’t you studying?” white noise.

There’s a lot of talk about (super) heroes at the moment as well there should be, because people are putting our lives before theirs to make sure that we can stay safe and well, and I am beyond grateful for that.  But even from the earliest Superman films that I watched, I never wanted to be one of the bystanders waiting to be crushed by falling buildings or rescued by a caped crusader swooping in at the last minute.  That’s all far too passive for me (I’ve always been a rather stroppy, independent individual!) and I suspect for many other people too.  We want to create our own heroic storylines and we want to be in charge of our own destinies, defeating the baddies and saving the world before the end credits.

However, we are not living in a film script and I know my limitations.  I am not Batman, or even Robin, but I do know that I have my own superpowers that I can call on when I need to – as do all of us – and they make us the best kind of sidekicks for our everyday superheroes.

My superpowers involve an iron will, getting myself out of bed and into the shower each morning to maintain a regular routine.  I can see into the future, writing a list of the meals that we’re going eat so that I buy the right things at the supermarket; just what we need so that I don’t take food that someone else might use but we might end up wasting.  I even have Herculean strength, being able to turn off the TV or my phone so that I am not listening to or scrolling through endless updates and speculation that actually make me feel worse, not better.

When you start to look, you can see it everywhere.  I see my husband with his laser focus, determined to face the commute across the landing to get to his bedroom office every day so that he can continue to help his clients.  I see big daughter exercising her mental skills, getting ready for online university exams and I see small daughter, swiping away at social-emotional trauma with Tik Tok dance moves and a growing Scrabble vocabulary (and doing schoolwork, of course 🙂 ).

It’s all here, and it will be where you are too, if you just look.  Whatever our skills, we are not passive bystanders waiting to be crushed or rescued at the last minute – we are all superheroes, and we are all doing our bit to save the world before the end credits.  To infinity and beyond – or something like that!

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8 Responses

  1. crochetncross_stitch says:

    Thank you Christine for yet another uplifting Monthly Muse.

  2. happy hooker says:

    Thank you for this. We all feel stressed at the moment, even if we don't think we are,it's there, bubbling quietly away under the surface. There are things we can do and things we can't. I can't help those who are ill in hospital or care homes, or those who are grieving, but I can smile at people and thank key workers when I see them. I can support my neighbours, even if it's just by waving at them as we all clap for our carers. Kindness and caring is a superpower, and we can all use those! xx

  3. Elizabeth says:

    The sermon series at our church is "Sheroes" and you have made me think that maybe I'm one too. Thanks for the uplifting message. Love your posts, Betsy

  4. Denise Fordyce says:

    Happy Hooker: love it. Simple kindness is such a super power.

  5. jeanne53 says:

    have you read "A paradise built in Hell" by Rebecca Solnit – keeping my mind busy so I turn off some screens – and it is giving me a sense of perspective on our current situation. Hello from Australia.

  6. Nancy in Indiana, USA says:

    As a secondary teacher, I really appreciate both the Twitter picture and your post. I am very good at teaching other people's children, but I am not good at being a parent to 150 other people's children. The more that parents can simply love, support, place limits on, and encourage their children at home, the better I can teach them under any circumstances.

  7. Unknown says:

    Thank you Christine for those wonderful words helps to get to grips with everyday life

  8. Boeremeisie says:

    I really enjoy your blogs. Today I was able to enjoy our Craft and Craic group over Zoom and as well as knitting together (lots of sock knitters who read your blog in our group) we heard from a teacher, a nurse manager and a nursery Classroom Assistant how knitting is keeping them strong through these difficult times. We are all heroes in our own way and knitting really helps.

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