My mother has an unconventional, yet effective way of making a point. 

When my middle son was a preteen, he declared his dream to become a veterinarian.  As a good mother, I enrolled him in the local zoo summer camp. He came home after just one day insisting that he would not return to camp and that he’d given up his dream of healing animals.  After a quick discussion, I determined that he’d spent the day cleaning large animal cages (you must start somewhere, right?) and he’d loathed it. If dealing with animal poo came with being a veterinarian, he was out.

My mother was visiting and heard my son’s refusal to return to camp. Being a truly smart matriarch, she pointed out that he’d given his commitment to the camp and therefore, he must continue through the week.  Quitting was not an option. Being quite the wordsmith, she exclaimed, “Son, anyone can shovel shit for a week!”

How true! I reflect on all the times in life I’ve wanted to give up, to walk away.  But, I kept going. I survived, learned, grew, and was then made stronger. 

The year 2020 has been a trying time for the world. Regardless of who you are, where you live, or how much money you have, you’ve been impacted.  Everything from feeding your family to social isolation has caused anxiety and stress. Divorce rates are increasing, teen-suicide is at an all-time-high, mortgages are in default, and unemployment has impacted almost every household in one way or another.  But I’m here to tell you that anyone can shovel poo for a while. 

I have three findingJOY words for you:

• Positive.  Do not wallow in the ‘ifs’, ‘buts’, and ‘onlys’. Instead, look for one positive in every circumstance and start shoveling.

• Persevere. Continue and stick with it—whatever it is—never ever quit!  Once you quit, it makes quitting easy in the future.

• Commit.  In periods of uncertainty commit to getting through one day at a time regardless of your circumstances.  This too shall come to pass.

My son did finish the camp and has some funny memories because of it.  That experience taught him that he was not meant to be a veterinarian. Instead, he obtained a degree in Risk Management... which in retrospect could have resulted from that one week at summer camp.  It’s safe to say there was no happiness in the Canterbury household that week of zoo camp. But in hindsight, the findingJOY came from the learning to push through, to endure, and to give our little zoo clean cages.

Lagniappe. The photo is of Penelope, the resident hippoptamus at the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo.

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