The Covid19 scream

How are you faring in our lock-down world?

Although institutions, businesses, and services have opened their doors  - albeit a small degree at a time  - and our collective hearts are lifting  bit by bit - there remain limitations  that constantly remind us that life is still not as it should be.

But still, we are grateful for what has been restored.

However, I remember when the lock-down was first introduced, there were so many don'ts that I felt an overwhelming sense of suffocation. Especially in the evening.

It was then that I thought, Okay, one day down and how many more to go? What will tomorrow bring? More of the same? The future stretched out like a desolate road leading to nothingness. Of course, social isolation made the burden even harder to bear.

With the gradual lifting of the Covid19 lock-down, we can all breathe a little easier. One lesson I have learned is how resilient the human spirit is. So kudos to you and me for a job well done.

Older but still lovable (cat)

Roi sunning himself in his backyard

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Do you have an older cat? Does it need assistance to remain healthy and happy?

Our sweet Roi, all 17 years and 6.9 kg of him, definitely belongs to this camp. As he reclines on his nest made of soft towels atop a heating pad (set to low), you can see the folds of furry skin hanging from his frame like heavy velour drapes. He looks like himself, just deflated, as though someone had let some of the air out of his body.

He settles on his bed with care, extending one front paw, then the other, before gingerly lowering the rest of his body with dignity and calmness. Pouncing on anything is no longer in his repertoire and birds in the backyard do not stir up his hunting instinct. 

Once in a great while, we see flickers of his younger, more active and mischievous self. But they appear less often - and last in mere nanoseconds. We are grateful for them, and all the wonderful years he had blessed us with his gentle presence. Never a claw unsheathed. Never a hiss through his mouth. Just sweetness and patience. How did we get so lucky!

 Happy 2020 Mother's Day

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This one is for all the mothers you have and you love.

I hope the scenes in this video - courtesy of Mother Nature herself - will bring them joy.

Even during the Covid19 lockdown ... especially during the lockdown!

 Spring nature walk during the Covid19 lockdown

Nowadays, when there are more things you CAN'T than CAN do, nature provides unparalleled calm and healing.

When that sense of suffocation seeps in, I meander through my neighborhood streets on foot or on my bicycle - always returning home with renewed strength and hope for better days ahead.

I hope you too are finding solace in your familiar surroundings - those spring buds bursting from every branch, and the expansive blue sky above.