Wow Facebook I just “LOVE” your new “LIKE” emoji called “CARE”. And what better time to introduce it than right now in the midst of a Global Pandemic and at the start of Mental Health Awareness Month. We all need to support each other more than ever and lift each other up more than ever and check on each other more than ever and be kind to one another more than ever and show that we “care” more than ever.
So go ahead and give a shout out to a loved one, show someone how much you appreciate them, pay someone a compliment, be the voice that spreads positively; not fear, let someone know they inspire you, tell someone why they make your life better, make someone smile who is struggling, let someone know why you believe in them.
Even in a time of Quarantine it is so simple to show someone they matter to you and that you “CARE” about them.
Wow, would you look at that, we did it; we just completed a full month (and then some) in quarantine and in case you needed a gentle reminder, today is May 1st and for me May has always been one of my most favorite months of the year.
I mean what’s not to love about May? It’s like a fresh start watching the flowers bloom and seeing the regrowth on the trees or finally hanging up your winter coat and of course it’s also the unofficial kick off to summer (so as you may have guessed this has been written from the perspective of a proud Canadian girl).
May is typically a very busy and joyous month for us with lots to look forward to each year but nowadays the best excuse for a celebration seems more like Cinco De Mayo Day (May 5), Victoria Day (May 18) and National Wine Day (May 25). And as you can see there is a common theme between all three days, one that needs no explanation after being in quarantine for…a whole lot of days.
Hopefully though, between all the Tequila (Cinco De Mayo) and Beer (make it a Corona on Victoria Day) and Wine (National Wine Day) we can find some time to pop open a bottle of champagne and make a toast to us on our upcoming 25th Wedding Anniversary later this month (right in between beer and wine day!). Stay tuned
P.S. I hate wine, beer and tequila!
What is something you are looking forward to during the month of May?
This Pandemic has changed the way for which we live our lives (forever) and it’s also changed the way for which we die as well. In just a few short days this week I’ve witnessed several friends and loved ones having to face losing a loved one or watch their loved one battle sickness and disease from afar.
If witnessing a loved one having to battle an illness or even death wasn’t hard or traumatic enough before Covid-19 now it is just unimaginably cruel and almost punishable as a crime as they are now being forced to do so all alone.
Life…and death are still happening all around us every single day and more often than not it is unrelated to Covid-19 even if we are being led to believe otherwise which makes it that much more difficult to understand how so many people are now being forced to battle life… and death all by themselves.
Our new reality may also be leaving many loved ones feeling an added sense of guilt, powerlessness and helplessness as they can’t physically be with their loved one or hold a proper funeral for them if need be or be by their side to hold their hand, connect with them emotionally, comfort them or even to be comforted.
It’s weeks like this one that really make you see just how cruel life can be sometimes, it’s also a reality check as to just how real this virus is and it’s definitely a gentle reminder for anyone who may need it of what truly matters in life… and death.
Tell me one thing that makes you smile during quarantine? Now try and hold that vision close to your heart as you venture into another week of physical distancing and remember that it doesn’t matter whether you are lounging in pajamas all day or doning your Sunday best because; “You’re never fully dressed without a smile!”
It’s been ONE HUNDRED days since I smoked my last cigarette. By my own calculations (I’ve never been great at math) that’s approximately 1200 cigarettes I haven’t smoked and approximately 725 dollars in savings.
Both are quite significant achievements don’t ya think? Both are definitely noteworthy right? Then why is it still so hard? Why is it that I just want to smoke one more cigarette even though I can see (and feel) all the incredible benefits from not smoking. And if there is to be a #summerofrich this year (an abridged version would do!!) that means that physically there will be no mountain I cannot climb and just hearing one of my daughters tell me that I am now that much less vulnerable to the risks associated with Covid-19 if I were to (G-d forbid) contract it should be reason enough to never want to smoke another cigarette ever again, but mentally of course, mentally, I hear a much different story in my head.
Cigarettes had become a crutch for me over the last 6 years, a way to release stress, manage an anxiety attack, quiet the thoughts in my head (I never hesitated to step outside at 2am for a cigarette to help “quiet the thoughts” when I couldn’t sleep) or calm the panic but what would happen if I were to give into my triggers or mental cravings right now?
Would it take away the overwhelm or change the situation we are living in or make everything better? Or would it simply just give those nasty, vicious voices dancing around in my head another reason to make me feel like a complete failure and a worthless human being?
So my question is; if timing is everything then was my choice to quit smoking ONE HUNDRED days ago one which was made with “infinite possibilities” or some kind of “meaningful coincidence”?
In my recent blog “It’s Raining On Prom Night 2020″(https://youareenough712.wordpress.com/2020/04/18/its-raining-on-prom-night-2020) I spoke about my daughter’s High School Prom being cancelled and her Graduation Ceremony postponed indefinitely and although neither came as any big surprise they were still a hard pill to swallow nonetheless.
She, along with millions of youth are all dealing with so much emotion right now from anger to sadness to frustration to anxiety to disappointment and depression; all feelings which are perfectly valid and perfectly okay to feel as we continue to self-quarantine; unable to see our friends or family, unable to watch our favorite sports, unable to swing from the monkey bars, unable to participate in extracurricular activities or unable to attend Proms and Graduations.
After hearing so much emotional feedback from my blog I wanted to come up with a way in which we could still somehow honour our “Class of 2020” Grads from PRE-K to Post Graduate while at the same time making sure that no young person ever feels alone during Covid-19 and beyond.
I truly believe Kids Help Phone has helped revolutionize the meaning of #togetherapart by providing ongoing, confidential Mental Health support to our youth via phone, text and online as well; throughout Canada, 24/7 for the last 30 plus years now. They were made for this Pandemic and now they need our help more than ever to ensure that they can keep up with the ever growing demand for their services.
I find myself left with a heartwrenching feeling lately knowing that our young people (under 25) are at their most vulnerable right now while trying to navigate their way through this new norm and that this crisis could leave the greatest effect on their future selves between now and when this is all over; my only hope is that they all come out stronger than ever. But for now we need to keep lifting them up and reminding our young people every single day that their feelings matter, that it’s okay for them to feel sadness or disappointment, that it’s okay to be scared or unsure and that it’s more than okay to ask for help.
So let’s all celebrate a special someone in our life or community with a “Class of 2020” Graduation sign for your front lawn or anywhere else that you wish to display it and let’s make sure that every young person knows that help is never further than a phone call or text away. Please feel free to share 😘
*All proceeds/donations for my “Class of 2020” Graduation Campaign/Initiative will be given to Kids Help Phone*
*Signs will be set up or delivered right to your front lawn or porch; options available for image to print too. etransfer is preferred; $30 each*
*Available in Thornhill & GTA*
*Choose from 6 different designs*
*Kids Help Phone is always open: 1-800-668-6868, Text: 686868, or connect with someone online; adults welcome too*
*Message me on Facebook/Instagram or email me at: youthareenough@gmail.com to place your orders*
Well it’s official, exactly 1 month after her High School Graduation Trip with her friends was abruptly cancelled (or rescheduled for later this summer but who’s kidding who?) due to Covid-19 the inevitable was finally announced yesterday that my daughter’s Prom was officially cancelled and that her Graduation Ceremony at the end of June has been postponed indefinitely.
The sudden cancellation of a once in a lifetime High School Graduation Trip last month hit us pretty hard even though we had been closely watching the virus’s force spreading quickly across the world in the week leading up to her trip, nonetheless it fell fast and furious and it was beyond heartbreaking. Since that day soooo much has changed (like everything to be exact) but at least this time we saw it coming and have had plenty of time to process it.
But no matter how much time our High School Graduates have had to process all this it will still never change the fact that they have been robbed of some of the best days of their lives, their Rite of Passage and possibly some of their hardest days too. Everything they have done from Kindergarten up until today has been a dress rehearsal for this one special moment, the moment where they get to spread their wings and fly on their own in order to chase after their hopes and dreams and find out who they truly are.
Yes some of you reading this will question what gives these kids the right to feel sad or angry or frustrated or disappointed or depressed that their High School Prom was cancelled (along with all the stuff leading up to the day) or that they may not get to receive their High School Diploma in a traditional Graduation Ceremony or that this was supposed to be their final swan song to friends before going off in different directions in the Fall when knowingly there are thousands of people who are critically ill and dying around the world and thousands of other people who are risking their own health to help the sick and dying or that millions more could lose their livelihood and businesses?
Well in short, they have every right to feel sad and angry and frustrated and disappointed and even depressed because we feel how we feel and whatever we (“we” means High School Graduates) are feeling right now is perfectly valid so go ahead and give yourself permission to feel without any guilt or judgment whatsoever, heck, go ahead and scream and cry too while you’re at it.
This pandemic has caused disappointment and devastation to so many of us and whether it’s a concert, a trip of a lifetime, your Wedding Day, your Prom or your Graduation Ceremony that has had to be postponed inevitably or cancelled completely due to Covid-19 just please try to remember that what you may perceive as a disappointment or devastation may not hold the same grading to someone else and that’s perfectly okay but at the end of the day (a very long day) no matter what, “we are all in this together”.
Congrats to all the Graduates of 2020 (from Preschool to Post Graduate). Wishing you the best of luck and much success on whatever adventures lie ahead.
***And to think, 3 months ago when Rachel found her dream dress for Prom our biggest worry was whether or not it would arrive on time and now I’m left to ponder what we do when it actually does arrive 🤔.
As another week in quarantine comes to an end tell me what your biggest win was for you this week. Maybe it didn’t seem like such a big win to you or maybe it wasn’t really a win at all in someone else’s eyes but keep this in mind; no one is expecting you to use this time in quarantine to learn a new language or to paint the Mona Lisa or to become a Rocket Scientist so don’t ever feel otherwise, not even for a second because right now our focus is to stay safe and to keep our loved ones safe.
So if your biggest win this week was that you got outside for some fresh air or fed your family scrambled eggs for supper or managed to find some time to work from home while tending to your 3 young children or you got dressed in something other than your pajamas or maybe you got out of bed before 1pm one day this week (that’s my big win) or for an added bonus; you made your bed then go ahead and give yourself a big pat on the back because you deserve it. (see blog; Make Your Bed: https://youareenough712.wordpress.com/2017/12/03/make-your-bed/)
But most importantly don’t forget that “we’re all in this together” and that being quarantined is not a competition as to who can learn a new language best or paint the Mona Lisa best or become the best Rocket Scientist. We’re all doing the best we can with the knowledge and resources we’ve been given and the only person who should be able to ever determine your self-worth is you and only you! Let’s try to not lose sight of what matters most right now and then every moment will feel like the biggest win!
Today is “World Semicolon Day” which gives me another perfect opportunity to share a part of my story and to remind those of us who suffer with a mental illness or who love someone who suffers with a mental illness that you are not alone.
Over the last month or so we have all become a figurative symbol of a Semicolon as we take a pause in the middle of our sentence in order to continue on with our story. Ok so the metaphor may not be perfect but the meaning behind it most certainly is as a semicolon is used as a pause in a sentence, not an ending.
I wanted to share with you again today my article I wrote last year on “World Semicolon Day” which talks about the significance of today as well as what my semicolon tattoo means to me (see pic above). Please stay safe and check on your loved ones. Xoxo.
How many of you reading this remember keeping a secret diary hidden locked away underneath your mattress in your tween/teenage years? Boy what would I give to read those right now.
I haven’t kept a diary for probably over 30 years now but since my journey began 6 years ago I have spent many hours expressing my inner most thoughts and oftentimes in the good ole fashioned way using a pen and paper.
I recently took some time to reread one particular journal that I had kept during my very first in-patient hospital stay some 5.5 years ago and while I was reading it I suddenly realized just how important journaling can be.
Journaling can help you create a relationship of sorts with your mind. It can help you to attain your goals, it can give you a clearer view of the world around you and may help you to make important connections between your thoughts and behaviors.
Right now we are all probably dealing with some thoughts and feelings that we have never felt before and it’s completely understandable and 100 percent valid. Maybe now would be the perfect time to dust off that old diary or start a new journal.
Think of it as a creative activity which can definitely be quite cathartic. It will make you more aware of your thoughts and behaviors and even help you sort out some new perspectives and shift a negative mindset to a more positive one.
I have been encouraging my whole family to start journaling at least once a day (it’s a great tool for everyone, even your preschoolers can draw their feelings). Let it be the place to leave your stressors behind, let it give you a sense of gratitude, let it be your voice to help guide you through this moment in time and let it be your history book; the one that will be talked about and shared for generations to come.
YouAreEnough 
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