Our Viewpoint

This has been quite a year. We are living through a pandemic that very few alive today have ever seen. Chances are, we probably won't see anything like this again in our lives.

As our kids go back to school, there is so much of the unknown. They are excited to go back to school and see their teachers and friends. As parents, we're anxious about whether we — and the school — have done enough to keep our kids safe.

The fact is, no one knows what to do in these situations. School districts and local governments are tasked with keeping students and staff safe. Business owners are looking out for their employees and customers.

If we have learned anything in 2020, it is that the future is unpredictable. Our children have lived through so much history already. Life-altering changes and events have occurred that we could never have imagined when we were growing up.

We have no idea how those first days of school will look, or if COVID-19 will again force schools and businesses to close. Just as we told our children, we have to be patient and be ready for anything. And in 20 or so years when they have their own children, we hope they'll pass lessons learned from this time in our new history.