This has been such a weird season that I seriously considered writing a post called “What I Failed to Learn This Summer.” I’ve actually started such a list, and maybe I’ll post it sometime.

However, in the interest of keeping traditions during a time when so many have been postponed or altered, I’m sticking with Emily Freeman’s original quarterly prompt and sharing what I did learn this summer. Beginning with an observation that I never would have dreamed of writing about prior to Covid-19.

• I have a small head.

This is a fact, not a criticism. I don’t wish I had a different head, nor am I hoping that people will reassure me that my head looks perfectly fine the way it is.

That said, in this age of mask wearing, being an adult with a smaller head is a bit of a challenge. The child-sized masks I’ve tried pinch my nose (which is decidedly not child-sized), and most adult masks are much too big for my face.

I think I’ve finally found a mask that will work, but it took a while. And I will not be sorry when I don’t have to wear it anymore.

• I’m very thankful for the people in my life who are comfortable with silence.

This occurred to me several weeks ago when I was reading You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why it Matters by Kate Murphy.

“To be a good listener is to accept pauses and silences because filling them too soon, much less preemptively, prevents the speaker from communicating what they are perhaps struggling to say,” she writes. “It quashes elaboration and prevents real issues from coming to the surface. Just wait. Give the other person a chance to pick up where they left off. … You get so much more out of interactions when you allow people the time and space to gather their thoughts.”

I love the talkers in my life, of course, but not everyone can be silent for long periods of time in the company of others and be totally OK with it. My dad was this way, and so is my younger daughter. As I see it now, it’s a gift.

• Making steamed dumplings is easier than you may think.

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you may recall that last spring, my girls and I taught ourselves how to make French macarons. It was a fun and tasty experiment that gave us—or at least me—a good bit of confidence when it comes to trying recipes that I’ve previously considered intimidating.

So when I asked Molly to look through my favorite food blog and pick out some dishes that might help me as I figure out how to cook for three instead of four, I was actually kind of excited when she chose Japanese Dumplings.

Dumplings are one of the few dishes that everyone in our family embraces enthusiastically. But I’ve never used wonton wrappers in a recipe before, and getting the dumplings into a shape that, well, even remotely resembles dumplings always seemed above my skill level.

Molly has never met a how-to video she doesn’t like, though, so with the aforementioned food blogger’s guidance, we decided to give dumplings a shot.

I mixed and prepped, Molly worked her magic with the wonton wrappers, and soon a skillet full of dumplings was sizzling on the stovetop. The end result was definitely worth the effort (and possibly even better than we’ve had at a restaurant).

• The build-up to a Very Big Thing can seem more stressful, emotional or difficult than the actual thing.

This isn’t the case every time, of course, but it’s happened to me enough now that it seems noteworthy. It can be some kind of anniversary or milestone, the start of something new or the ending of something enduring. It doesn’t even have to be an event or situation that others would consider significant.

Whatever it is, we can be assured of this: God will meet us there—in our anxious anticipation or stomach-churning dread—and He will strengthen us for what lies ahead.

• Taking your first child to college for the first time is a highly individualized experience.

It doesn’t hit all moms the same, or all dads. Not every parent cries all the way home, or much at all. We worry about different things ahead of time, and for different reasons. Personality plays a role, and so does how this transition played out in our own lives.

It’s still early in the process for us, and while only God knows how anybody will feel in a month or two, it seems to be going well on both ends (at college and at home).

At this point, I’m grateful for grandparents who have prayed, for friends and mentors who have invested time and love into my girl’s life, and especially for the assurance that the God who began a good work in her heart and mind so many years ago will carry it through to completion.

• • •

Although I suppose I could come up with a few other lessons that have to do with quarantines and trusting God during a pandemic, I think I’ll leave it at this. But I am anxious to know about you. If you’ve learned something this summer—anything, really—please share it in the comments.

♥ Lois

P.S. I’m linking up this week with Purposeful Faith, #TellHisStory, InstaEncouragements, Recharge Wednesday, #HeartEncouragement, Let’s Have Coffee and Grace & Truth.