Hello there,
I hope you’re keeping safe and well.
It’s been quite some time since I’ve blogged (over a year), which is terrible practice if you want people to read your blog! I know the stats. People forget about you if you take a break of a couple months, let alone a full year. I think the only person who can get away with taking a break for an entire year is Celine Dion.
I guess I haven’t felt very inspired to write the blog over the last year. Covid took the wind out of my sails. I have also been focused on my creative writing, but with a year or so in, I still don’t feel like I have made major headway. But still … I continue to write and do my best during these bizarre times.
I woke up this morning thinking about anxiety and worry. I am not going to lie and tell you I feel no anxiety or worry at all. I do. This Covid situation is taking its toll. My sinuses start to act up, I get a bit of a sore throat and my mind goes into panic-mode. A mild panic? A medium-sized panic? I can’t say how much anxiety really, but I do get stressed out. (Hooray for Tylenol sinus!)
Personally, I have my Christian faith. I can go to the Bible and be reminded of important things like peace, joy, forbearance, grace … Along with my faith, I add some lovely classical music, some good books (The Overstory is next on my list), and connecting with a couple friends on a weekly basis.
I have also started to reach out to colleagues. We either do FaceTime or chat while walking around our respective neighbourhoods. It recently dawned on my that although I live in Canada (a Covid hot-spot), my world is bigger because I reach out to external counsel in various countries. I am sure I have other colleagues who must feel it too, whether they’ve called Turtle Island/Canada home for over 10,000 years, 300 years or have just moved here themselves.
So, when I see the news (and I have no idea what is reality and what is sensationalism), I know there’s some grain of truth and so I worry about the people I “know” in those countries. Disasters and tragedies in other countries become personal. (And, yes, I am getting teary-eyed thinking about what India is currently going through.)
This is the perfect segue to my next point, and we all know it, don’t we?
Turn off the news or any digital news!
Turn off those darn news pop-ups! Who gives a toss .about a rich white boy (getting richer by the minute) complaining about his privileged position? (That would be Prince Harry, people.)
Tune out those negative images that are only trying to bring you down more.
Let’s let the soothing sounds of Edvard Grieg’s Morning Song renew our minds, spirits and bodies.
I am sure you’ve been better at finding virtual things to do, but here’s a link to an article about 12 Famous Museums that offer virtual tours.
Or, come to Canada! Here’s the National Gallery’s virtual link. I do hope there are more pics besides icebergs. And just for the record, I have never seen an iceberg in the Ottawa River…and I hope i never do …
Wherever you are, I hope you have a good day!
Happy virtual travels!
Hugs,
Ellie
PS - I have no affiliation with Tylenol.