Category: Self Care

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Where I needed to be

As we all know, unplanned travel associated with family emergencies is stressful to say the least. Throw in the current pandemic and the severe travel restrictions to some parts of the world, add the almost impossible travel requirements, and the word ‘stressful’ takes on an entirely different meaning! Of course, I am one of those people who doggedly focus on the upside of every situation. Yep! Sometimes people are very annoyed by my outlook but to each his own!  I am just happy that even in this current pandemic, I was able to get to where I needed to be.

Late last month I received news that my mom was hospitalized and I immediately started looking for flights. I was about to throw all caution to the wind and take the first available flight to Guyana! As we all know, Guyana is a Covid-19 hotspot since it shares borders with Brazil. Brazil has a high percentage of Covid-19 infections as well as highly infectious variants of the virus. I had canceled plans to travel to Guyana and Brazil earlier in the year because of these very reasons! Yet, here I was frantically looking for flights to New York with an onward connection to Georgetown Guyana. I had to be at my mom’s bedside regardless of the pandemic.



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Focus on the here and now

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You find beauty only if you focus on the here and now. Happy people find beauty in the little things. Finding beauty, that is one of the secrets to being happy. I say it’s a secret but this knowledge resides somewhere in our subconscious. We somehow overlook it in our pursuit of happiness.

I just want to be happy…Have you noticed how often we hear these words? People most often say it in the context of a failed relationship. This suggests that most people equate successful relationships with happiness. Well, what constitutes a successful relationship? you might ask. According to the many theories I’ve read on the subject, the main ingredient for a successful relationship is commitment.. that’s it!



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What if Tomorrow Never Comes?

Today I saw a beautiful rainbow and I was desperately trying to get a photo with my phone (which has a crappy camera). Someone walked up behind me and said, “you’re so full of yourself, taking selfies!” obviously she hadn’t looked up at the sky and seen the big beautiful rainbow! Yes, I know, we have so many more important things to do that we sometimes forget to look up at the sky.

Work deadlines, worry about the future, financial stress and the niggling fear that something important is slipping through the cracks…. It all creates a jumble of constant narrative in our subconscious that effectively distract us from the present. We don’t see rainbows, or smell raindrops falling unto parched earth and we don’t cherish precious moments spent with loved ones because we neglect to just BE in the moment. What if tomorrow never comes?

Today I learned that a close friend lost her mother, when we spoke on the phone, she was heartbroken. She said she was sad because her son would never know what it feels like to be embraced by his grandmother, but she was also grateful that she had always let her mother know how much she loved her.

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I think that those who openly express love and affection are comforted by the conviction that love is eternal.  Love keeps those we love close to us, always in our hearts.   

Each time I see a rainbow it reminds me of how insignificant I am in the grand scheme of things. Rainbows remind me that everything I’ve ever worried about is not as important as it seems, just being in the present is enough. It reminds me that it takes more effort to frown and be angry than it takes to smile and be happy. It reminds me to be present, to enjoy moments of happiness, to listen, and to be grateful for everyone who is willing to listen to me.

Every day is a gift, a fresh start, and a chance to stop and smell the roses and express love before it’s too late. Don’t wait for those you love to depart this earth to say how much you loved them in beautiful verse and song. Bring them flowers today, sing them songs and tell them how much they matter today, what if tomorrow never comes?