សួស្តី  hello! 

From the depth of my tiredness, I wanted to reach out and say hello. I wonder how you are feeling? 

If it’s anything like the weather here in Florida, you may just want to stay in bed a little longer, or just turn over and pretend you don’t have to wake up just yet. I get it. 

And yet, it is getting lighter by the moment. I hear the sounds of bird chirping outside and looking at my clock, it ticks to 7am. Responsibilities call and so I must get up and answer it.

Fighting my sense of tiredness, I look out of my window and notice a stillness outside. The trees are barely moving as if in solidarity with the feeling of fatigue I have. 

Grey clouds blanket most of the blue sky and as I turn towards the sun, its brightness makes my eyes shut in protest. 

Taking a deep breath, I take a moment to center myself. To feel and acknowledge this feeling of tiredness and fatigue. One of many byproducts of living under the strains of a pandemic for so long. 

I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the staggering five hundred thousands deaths in America from COVID 19. So many lives taken too soon and so much of our lives distrupted and interrupted. 

Like you, I am tired. Exhausted and ready for this to be over.

As I take more breaths, I feel a greater sense of calm and of stillness gather within me. Like the tree that stands in testimony of the weather, there is a strength within all of us. 

You and I are still here. Recognizing that while so many have perished, we have not. 

I am grateful for the sun that brings us out of our darkness. And I recognize and appreciate the wonderful gift that a new day like today brings. A day to do something good and kind for ourselves and for the world we live in.

Whether we are the roots, the leaves, the branches or peeling bark, we must continue on in our efforts, to stand tall and strong for ourselves, our family and our community.

So up I get, to wake up my kids and get ready for work and everything that life calls for, feeling a little stronger than I was moments ago.

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