The parachute for the rover Perseverance that landed on Mars had a secret. Not that I could have deciphered it, but nerds around the world plowed into the challenge... though perhaps I should avoid using that word. A message was woven into the Kevlar fabric.

 

"Dare mighty things"

 

The designer, Ian Clark, solves the New York Times crossword puzzle each morning, which is something our family has been doing as well for a string of twenty two days. He created symbols for a triplet of words in a way that goes over my head. But a few hours after the footage aired, answers showed up on Reddit. 

 

There were no rewards. People found their motivation from other energy streams. Some folks like puzzles. 

 

Many of us find ourselves living a puzzle. How to work from home and also satisfy customers. How to raise kids who cannot attend school. How to stay safe, while still connecting with friends. How to plan for a future that morphs. 
 

I notice no prizes for the solutions we find. Yet perhaps they are there, hidden in the fabric of our lives. 

 

"My grandmother is still alive!"

 

"We had a small party and it felt like a celebration!"

 

"We made it another month without getting sick!"

 

"I upgraded my internet!"

 

The thing about the New York Times crossword puzzle is that it is hard. Incrementally through the week, I think, though I am not sure how to calibrate such things. I am clear that our family fares better when we go online and find answers together. The other day I knew that Donne was correct, though to be honest I cannot recall the clue. I was pleased to have contributed, since I am not the strongest member of the Odhnerds team.

 

There won't be a moment of landing on the other side of this pandemic, with a room full of angels erupting into applause. Perseverance is required of us, and perhaps the way we will know we have landed is that we did not crash.