There is no doubt that I am not the only one who is experiencing a certain degree of restlessness. Our government is not composed of raging maniacs, like other countries that will remain unnamed at this point, but there are still plenty of things to be concerned about. Not in the least other countries that are run by raging maniacs – apart from the fact that I have people there that I care deeply about, the state of those countries directly affects mine.
We are all in this together.
Covid-19 is a part of it. There is a resurgence of the virus in the Netherlands right now, particularly in Amsterdam where I live, and although I do not fear directly for my own health or that of my direct relatives, this is because I am relatively cautious. In short: I am doing what I can, and that brings me a certain degree of peace.
Key words: ‘a certain degree’. Spoiler: that degree is not very high.
The fall-out of the virus so far has been far more worrying. The social as well as economic effects of isolation and having to keep our distance are devastating. It adds to our restlessness and worry and mental fatigue every time we encounter them.
(Let’s leave the economic effects for now. I just cannot even…)
We can stop by my parents, the minions and I, but we cannot touch them or get close. We can see friends but we cannot hug or even share a bowl of peanuts. I have become an outdoor person just so I can have coffee with friends.
Add to this some work stress, worry about advancing climate change anxiety (we live below sea level here!), discomfort with the world-wide political shift towards greed and lust for power, and top it off with more than a pinch of insomnia.
…
Did I tell you I have a bunch of house plants? Bought a box of them early on in the Covid crisis and now they keep sprouting new babies who are slowly colonising new areas of our home. Isn’t that just lovely?
(Image from Etsy)
Tea with a Ninja 