This has been quite a long week for me. 🕔🕙
Finally returned to work (virtually) after being off more than two weeks and I am super proud I didn’t let myself work outside of work hours or become overwhelmed. 👏🏽
Excited about starting my Pinterest business page which has already made more impressions than I thought I could get. 🥳
I am also proud to have found motivation to work out every day. Thank you to @masterconsistency for the push on Tuesday! 💪🏽
Happy Friday! 💮
I was going through a “funk” for a little bit. Change of season, peak busy time at work, and still grieving all hit me and it was nonstop tears. This past week and a half I finally started to get past it but this weekend was def the final touch to regroup.
We unplugged from the world and it was exactly what I needed. We also didn’t bring the kids with us which means I literally got a break and alone time with my honey.
The nights were spent by the fire filled with conversation and laughter. It was an overall great time with my fiancé, cousins and new people. I loved that we had no phone service because it allowed us all to interact, explore, and eat (a lot) lol.
Many people I know hesitate to experience camping but let me tell ya it’s a must try. At least once!
How are you spending your Fall weekends?
Today I want to share a story from one of my best friends, Aeisha. She is a Lupus Warrior and was kind enough to let me interview her. She also gave me permission to share her story with my readers.
Q: How old are you?
A: 28.
Q: When were you diagnosed with Lupus?
A: October 2012.
Q: What was your initial reaction to your diagnosis?
A: I thought I was going to die.
Q: What has been the most challenging part of living with Lupus? Has it held you back or prevented you from doing things you have wanted to do?
A: The most challenging part of living with Lupus is not being able to travel as much as I am used to. My lupus caused me to have kidney failure. Now I am on dialysis and it’s hard to just get up and go like regular people. Everything has to be planned.
Q: Are there any organizations/groups that have helped inform you more about Lupus?
A: There are a lot of people on Instagram that I follow and follow me because we share this same disease. It’s comforting to know that I am not alone.
Q: What are some misconceptions people have about Lupus that you have faced?
A: There are people that think those with Lupus are lazy. Just because you can’t physically see my disability, it doesn’t mean that it is not there.
Q: Where are you today with your Lupus?
A: Today, I am still taking my monthly infusions, which I think is helping. I haven’t felt any pain since getting on it. “Fingers crossed!” I still am on dialysis. I am also on the transplant list waiting for a donor.
Q: What keeps you motivated?
A: My education keeps me motivated. The fact that I’m working towards a goal keeps me going.
Q: Any final thoughts or words you want to share?
A: Don’t let anybody say you can’t be!
Lupus affects every person differently. Despite Aeisha’s struggles with this disease, she doesn’t let it keep her down and still works towards her goals. Aeisha is actually receiving her BA this month in Social Work from Rutgers University. So not only is Aeisha fighting her own battle everyday but she is working towards being able to help others in need. She is the definition of a Lupus Warrior!
If you are anything like me, you didn’t think this whole COVID-19 was going to take over the way it did. I was definitely one of those peeps who kept saying and thinking that this would blow over in a week or so. I was so WRONG!
It has now been almost 2 months since I started working at home and I am still in disbelief. Everything changed so abruptly and it literally happened overnight. One day my daughter was in school and the next we were picking up a Chromebook for her to do remote learning. One day I was at work and the next was told to stay home until further notice.
These past few months have been a rollercoaster ride. We had to start wearing masks, hand sanitizing repeatedly, wearing gloves, and even spraying alcohol when coming back into the house. Let’s not forget the mental effects this virus has had on just about everyone! I have had days where my emotions, feelings, and thoughts have caused me to have mini meltdowns. This coming from someone who didn’t take this seriously at all at first.
This virus hit a little to close to home though. At the end of March, my mother tested positive for the virus and was extremely ill. It was super scary and it was even worse because I couldn’t be by her side like I would have wanted. I had to rely on phone calls to my dad and hoping he was being honest. My sister and I would take turns checking in with them throughout the day. Once my mom started getting better, my dad began to feel sick. Fortunately, by the grace of God, he tested negative for the virus and actually felt better in about a week. Sadly, it doesn’t end there. Several of my aunts and uncles also tested positive and are still healing slowly.
This, however, is not the case for all of them. One of my uncles is still in the hospital and it has been a long 3 weeks. We have been praying for him and checking in with him every day but it is extremely difficult. We are fortunate enough to have a close family friend that works at the hospital stop in during her shift each day just so we can say hello.
I can imagine that a lot of the world has experienced an incline in so many stressors and it has truly affected our mental health. However, it has also made us open our eyes and look back at moments we may not have appreciated as much. I know for me, it’s small things such as merely stopping by my mom’s place and hanging out with the kids for an hour or even our small birthday gatherings where we could sing Happy Birthday and cut a cake. It’s these small things that I truly miss. FaceTime calls have definitely become more frequent.
I write this in hope to offer some comfort to others experiencing these same or similar things. Know that you are not alone. We are in this together. Please take some of this time to distract yourself from all the negativity that is being put out.
Find some time to turn off your television, log off of social media, and just enjoy some fresh air and some sun. One thing they haven’t banned us from doing is going for a walk (of course being safe). So go out and enjoy it! I know this works for me; it is a way to recharge.
Some other suggestions: use this time to boost your self-care, pick up a hobby, or even teach your kid(s) something new (bike riding is on our list here). Self-care was at the bottom of my priority list which is NO BUENO (not good). It took me so many weeks before I finally made time to workout again and write some blog posts. I even used a face mask a few times. Go Me!
Let us take these tough times and use it to rebuild ourselves. This way once the world opens up again, we will be ready to conquer it.
Keeping it simple for this special day.
Yesterday I was finally able to reunite with my parents, sister, and our kids in our home to celebrate Mother’s Day. It was a great feeling to be able to be together once again and seeing the joy the kids bring my parents. These past few weeks have been rough and have truly showed me how important it is to enjoy each other everyday and in every way.
I was definitely one of the people that always wanted to have the option to work from home. Little did I know that almost a month ago, we would have to make that switch abruptly. COVID-19 came in and flipped our world upside down and inside out.
The first week was extremely overwhelming. Feeling like a slave to my laptop, I convinced myself I had to work every second of every minute of every hour from 8:30 to 4:30. It took me several days to let that mentality go and just do what I could. I had to remember that breaks were important for my mentality, my physical we;;-being, and my emotional health.
Not only was I overwhelmed with work but suddenly I also became a grade school teacher. My daughter and I had to adjust and come up with a schedule and way of communicating that worked for us. It was not easy! Being home also meant having my little guy around more. He has become so attached I cannot even imagine what it will be like once I return to the office. Nonetheless having an almost 2 year old presented its own challenges. He suddenly felt all my web conferences were meet and greets and all of my supplies were for arts and crafts.
On top of all of this, social media became hypnotizing. It was bombarded by news of COVID-19 but it was also suddenly full of people saying things like, “Now you will see what stay at home moms go through.” Wow, was that super annoying!
Now hear me out here…I do not discredit what stay at home moms do. If you can look back at previous posts, I was one for awhile before returning to work from maternity leave. But there is a significant difference if that is your only job all day everyday. It definitely cannot compare to having a full time job, being a home school teacher, and watching a 2 year old all at the same time. Trying to manage these multiple roles while still trying to stick to your work calendar has been the MOST CHALLENGING yet.
A few times in the past weeks, I have had several emotional breakdowns. I mean literally crying hysterically at my kitchen table, in my bedroom, in the shower, etc. Check-ins with my director and colleagues has been so important. Just being able to talk it out, seeing how others are managing, and feeling understood have provided a sense of relief.
So what are some key things I have learned during this transitioning period…
Let’s stay strong.
Better times will come.
Keep praying for the world.
We will get through this together.
And remember…Live, Laugh, & Love!
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