Bring on 2022 – we are resilient

January 9, 2022 Kathy

Dear sis,

My last blog subject was, “Let’s talk about Death baby.” And now I am feeling, “Let’s talk about LIFE baby.”

Over the last two years I have gotten to know my internal being. And you know what? I like her. It’s not that I didn’t like her in the past. I actually have never allowed myself to fully slow down and go within in order to get to know her. Slowing down, spending alone time, simplifying life – the Pandemic “gifted” this to me.

When the Pandemic hit I made a conscience effort to make some changes in my life. I decided to embrace being alone. I disconnected myself from people I am not energetically connected with. I found a balance with work and personal life. I spent a lot of time with nature, falling more and more in love with her everyday.

These last two years, The Universe is working in ways where I feel like I am sliding down this big water slide, water flowing underneath me, no resistance and a big smile on my face feeling the excitement of being in the moment.

If there is one thing I know for sure is that we all have the power inside to feel like we are sliding down a water slide. It is a choice that you make.

I recall a time when I ran into someone I knew in the grocery story parking lot. I asked, “Hi there, how are you ?” He responded, “Pissed right off.” “Why?” I asked. He said, “We are over a year into this pandemic and once again Costco doesn’t have any more toilette paper.”

Last February, when I first returned home from Ottawa, I recall being asked how my time back home with you sis. I responded, “It was perfect. We all got to be together, we were all at my sisters side, it all worked out.” And this individual said, “Well good for you, because most things in life don’t work out.”

When you allow the shortage of TP to upset you and/or truly believing that things don’t work out, life will continue to be difficult for you. Life will feel like a constant upward “swim.” If you work on changing your thought process, really making a conscience effort, just watch how easy your days / life will start to flow.

In a changed world – because reality is, it has changed – and news flash every one, “WE WILL NEVER BE GOING BACK TO OUR NORMAL.” This is our new normal. We need to adapt and recognize this. Let go of fear and move forward knowing this is the way. We have not seen our last Pandemic. There will be many more variants. The handshake will be long gone, families and friends have been divided due to personal beliefs, people will always think twice when going into large crowds, hand sanitizers are in our life forever. And Mother Nature is screaming at us through fires, flooding, heat waves, tornadoes – catastrophic damage to our planet. This is our world and it will not change in a couple of months or by 2023.

The one way that we can personally beat this pandemic is to take care of yourself. Mentally and Physically. When my teacher friend in Nevada said they were going back to teaching “in class” because the suicide rate for teenagers is the highest it has ever been – or I read that Globally, depression is the #1 cause of human suffering – it made me really sad for our world. But I am feeling very optimistic, as there is definitely more compassion in this world than I have ever felt before.

Parenting through a Pandemic has not been easy. Raising a 16 year old teenage girl through a pandemic…can someone please tell me HOW you are doing it? It is so crazy how much you can love your child but then there are other moments when you are screaming, “Get away from me, right now. This very second. Not one more word. Keep walking.” You know, those moments haha 🙂 I have certainly had my highs and lows with my daughter throughout this last year.

I recall in the summertime, Jenna had just turned 16. We were in the car together and suddenly she said, “Mom I am being picked up on Friday night, I am going to Dumont road, it is down a long dirt road where I will lose reception so you won’t be able to contact me. It’s a tail gate party.” For a good ten seconds I was silent. She reacted. “What !!?? Don’t you trust me ? You are so not cool.” And I simply said, “I am just trying to process all this. First of all, you have never even been picked up and tail gate means drinking!! Geeeze…” as I rolled my eyes at her. She never did go and there are going to be so many moments like that in life – just around the corner or maybe I have arrived – where I just need to surrender and let her make her own choices. Over this last year, my child has become a young woman.

The two of us, just returned from spending two weeks in Maui. It was a holiday that was very much needed – for each of us individually and as mother / daughter time together. It was such a wonderful trip. There were also moments I was also ready to strangle her – on our day trips she had her rap/funk music blasting in the car, “I want to bite your ass like a sweet cupcake” or “sticking your dick in a bag of Doritos.” Honestly, I don’t know what the hell is up with lyrics these days. Then we had this amazing bonding moment when we were running butt naked in the dark, on the beach in Wailea sssssshhhh it may be illegal, after watching a beautiful sunset, screaming, laughing and skinny dipping.

If there is one thing I know for sure, is that we are all going to be OK. In fact, we are going to be better than OK. A friend said it well, “Move through life with intention.” We have all been given a generous dose of understanding and empathy.

COVID, the Pandemic, Omicron – two years ago we did not know a lot about you but we have come a long way. We will adapt, we will move forward and we will learn to accept this new way of life.

To my beautiful sis, I miss you so much. I love dancing with you in my living room, I love feeling your presence, I love making your Mexican dip, I love staying connected to your kids and I love that I got to have you as a sister for 53 years. How lucky are we xo

Happy 2022 to all my wonderful friends and family – love your life xo

I love you sis,

Kathy