I wrote a blog post a few days ago about The Slap™️ and found myself revising and republishing, revisiting and rethinking, rewriting and reducing the text to a point where it just felt futile to keep it up. I took it down because I don’t want to be another voice in this exhausting conversation and in all honestly I have no genuine feelings about the aftermath or feel my opinion is relevant/important. It really just felt embarrassing to weigh in that extensively, so I have taken it down and feel like it was a mistake to publish. There are plenty of other think pieces out there that have a better handle on the situation and are much more thoughtful about the subject matter. I may publish it again later on after the hoopla dies down, but for now, I’d like to move on.

I thought, instead, I’d share some photos I’ve taken over the last few months from places I’ve visited and some thoughts on navigating life right now because it feels like we’re teetering on the edge (at least I am)…

It is so important right now to be mindful of how you’re feeling and what is bringing you down and giving you joy. It’s still tough to traverse these times right now, but we should all take a moment to pause and reflect and give ourselves grace for continuing to function and live through this trying period in all our lives. Whether or not we’d like to admit it, the pandemic is still here and we are learning to cope, but it’s not easy. Feelings of loss, anxiety, fear, exhaustion still bubble up and creep into our daily lives and that’s okay. We are all finding different ways to manage with those emotions and are still learning how to survive and find peace in this new normal. I know I’ve been struggling more than I’d like to admit to myself, but knowing I have people in my life who care has been monumentally helpful for me to stay sane and grounded (on the most part).

I think we’re all feeling exceptionally sensitive and fragile, just trying to grasp onto what the world was like pre-pandemic and emulate that without taking into consideration that there have been some fundamental shifts that make pre-pandemic life impossible right now or ever, really. It’s been taking me some time to process this and understand how I fit into a post-pandemic world and how I take care of myself. That’s what I want to focus on these next few months. How to just be without worrying so much, without being so doom and gloom, without forgetting there’s hope, love, and laughter to be had and cherished. There’s plenty of negativity in this world, but there’s also light and shining positivity. It’s something I have to keep telling myself when I see story after story of death, destruction, and degradation. There is so much going on in this world, but only so many things that I can control. So spiraling about the apparent inevitability of world war, the frustration with politicians, and the racism running rampant in every system isn’t necessarily helpful. It is important to figure out how my voice can be impactful and how I can use resources to assist in those situations, but just plain spiraling will drive you mad.

I was watching an Instagram Live interview yesterday with Christine Ha who won Master Chef in 2012 and she talked about how she got through difficulties in her life. She said one of the things that she did was make herself remember this time will pass. You may feel like you’re never going to get out of whatever it is you’re going through, but you will. I think logically I understand that, but it’s easy to forget when you’re in the thick of it, so it was nice to hear her say that and validate those thoughts. It was just something I didn’t know I needed to hear at the moment. On Instagram Live, who knew!

I’m also still floored by how seemingly normal everyone’s operating at work and moving projects forward. It seems like we’ve all unconsciously gotten really good at compartmentalizing. I know I have, and it still makes me wonder if that’s a good or a bad thing…

That’s for another time methinks.

Finally, I wanted to share that Maggie Rogers song again, because it’s wonderful-