You Can Make It!

I was trying to remember when I last changed our furnace filter. It seemed like January, maybe, but I couldn’t recall exactly when I changed it. I know I thought about changing it, but I couldn’t picture the actual execution of the task.

So last Saturday, I made my way into the hall, step stool in hand, and I opened the ceiling grate to take a look. I have made a practice of writing the date when I change the filter on the edge, and I was astounded to see the date: 7-25-20. That filter was dirty and in need of changing. But alongside the date, I had written myself a note I completely forgot about: You can make it!

The last time I replaced the filter was in the middle of the pandemic when there was no vaccine and no clear idea when we might make progress in getting COVID-19 under control. I think back to how it felt living in such a liminal space, no clear end in sight, and I want to thank my 7-25-20 self for her positive attitude (not a typical trait for me).

What’s interesting about the message “You can make it!” is that it didn’t try predict when the virus might be contained or controlled, but its focus was on my internal resilience, no matter what the external circumstances were. I made it, you made it, and here we are, grateful for our perseverance and hope. You never know where your next encouragement to keep going might be found, even on a dirty furnace filter.