This is it!

2020 has been quite the year so far, so much has happened and yet it seems like very little is going on. I would not have thought in a million years that this year would turn out this way. I remember how i spent my new years day, all these ideas i had about what was possible coming into the new year and the decade, the possibilities were endless. Then when it seemed like things were coming together, Rona happened.

All of a sudden there were restrictions everywhere, people were dying. The world became a very scary place overnight. I remember not believing it at first, I thought white people are over reacting, it's not in Africa yet, and when it finally hit home I thought psh! its not that serious. Five months down the line we've been on partial lock down, over three hundred deaths with the numbers rising exponentially, more than twenty thousand infections and still counting, thousands have lost their jobs, thousands earning half salary. The other day i read on a daily that the government is looking into purchasing one hundred thousand body bags in preparation for a worst case scenario and currently the hospitals in Nairobi are overwhelmed with patients that need emergency care. The ripple effect of this pandemic on vulnerable groups is mind boggling, its not getting any less scary.

The most challenging part of this whole new normal other than the proximity of death is the semblance of home schooling going on which is driving me crazy ( i do not know how teachers live happy lives,where do they get the patience for this!). The other is the issue of social distancing. This is one of those luxuries that i am now learning I had taken for granted. I miss hugs, laughing out loud in public like a crazy person, I never thought i'd want to see peoples smiles, looking at the stars from anywhere other than home, the night breeze,lights, sitting at a bar just me and my beer. So much of what goes on in life is out of our control, even the little things become big when the choice is taken from you.

In spite of Covid, life goes on. Babies are being born, more are being conceived. Guys are graduating, couples are getting married. Kids are growing, technology is advancing, new innovations are coming up everyday,people are purchasing their first cars, houses and all that good staff, governments are running,the sun still comes out everyday at 6 am and sets as usual. We still schedule, plan and prepare all for a tomorrow that isn't ours to determine. The earth continues to endure, one day at a time. The more things change the more they stay the same. The truth is covid or no covid, uncertainty, anxiety, fear, sickness, death have always been a part of the human experience.This is another universal wake up call like generations before us have had, a reminder to live our best lives today.

So now we have to wear masks and sanitize and keep a safe distance, there was a time small pox and yellow fever, Ebola and Aids were a thing. History is full of stories of plagues that threatened to wipe out entire civilizations and who knows what new situation will come in the future. The bottom line is, these are the days of our lives and we can't wish them away. 2020 may seem like a slow year, a wasted one even, but in many ways it is forcing us to focus, to really zero in on what really matters. what makes you happy, what do you enjoy doing, who are your people, what needs improvement, what stays and what goes because this is it, better days are not ahead they are today.

How about we really live, start that business, send that text, buy that hair that you dream about, start that work out routine you've been postponing, shoot your shot. Covid is reminding us that we don't have time for everything, the time is short and its best to focus on what matters. The cycle of life demands an end to the journey on this side of eternity at some point usually without consultation or notice, so its not an if situation, its when it happens will we look back and think i'm so glad i took the risks and lived out loud. Don't let covid dim your shine, don't let your fire die, get the help you need because these last couple of months have been crazy but keep going.

Whether we survive this or not,whether another pandemic or terrorist attack, we will have some form of trauma. seeing other people suffer, being helpless leaves a soul size dent, that said, humanity has been through so much and yet still we stand. Truth is we might not make it to tomorrow but if we get today right, that will be enough. I find strength in prayer, there is a peace that only God gives, courage to face whatever comes, faith that things will get better.If you find yourself lost in the pandemonium, try it, it always works. So whatever life throws at us our dreams are still valid if we don't give in.

I am praying for you.

May God be the strength of our hearts,

May we have the courage to keep believing, to make new memories while we still can,

May we have the strength to keep building, to choose to build the things that matter.

Happy new month, See you next post,

Adios.