Life in The New Normal

Life on the beach. That is what people miss on a hot summer day. This is supposed to be a fun-filled dry season for families, groups of friends, coworkers, or solo travelers. But this season has fallen into isolation.

Last year's summer vacation was one of the best vacations ever. I never thought it would be the previous summer to get sunburned, the last time to enjoy the summer breeze and the serenity, the last time to leave footprints in the sand.

After several weeks, our economy and the rest of the world are slowly returning to life, but it may be hard for people to get back to life -- the kind of life we used to live. However, our resilience in adapting to this new normal is not just a testament to our strength and determination, but a source of empowerment and strength.

While viewing my digital photo album, I saw smiling and happy faces. I saw how we used to celebrate family gatherings without physical distancing. I saw how we used to travel and go to public places without a mask. That was just a recent past, but now it feels like we have wholly entered a new world with a new definition of love.

The new normal is tough love. When families at home cannot even give a hug and kiss, when old friends or acquaintances cannot recognize each other due to facial protective covering, when partners cannot hold their hands, and when young kids and our elderly are best protected by staying at home, all these are for the sake of love—love on the new normal. 

But I still believe in a profound human connection. We may still be able to give a smile to someone we know or anyone we meet along the road. A new definition of a smile—a smile of gratitude on the new normal—is in order.

Our new normal is not only about hygienic measures. It goes beyond our new lifestyle—a healthy one to which most people will prioritize. This is a time to focus on self-care and personal growth, which will be crucial in navigating this new world. Let this be a source of motivation and inspiration for all of us.

We will now be more health conscious, eat the right kind of food, get some physical exercise, get some nourishment from the sunlight, plant and harvest our own food, get adequate sleep, pray, meditate...

Activities that nourish our body, mind, and soul are most important. We can engage in activities like yoga for physical health, meditation for mental peace, and prayer for spiritual well-being. We should strive to avoid worries, fears, and anxiety. Though it's normal to feel that way sometimes, we can still escape, regain our best selves, and live our most extraordinary lives.

For now, we may have already learned some tools and techniques as we move on to a new normal. You may now know how to quiet the mind and relieve stress through meditation. You may have learned the art of flexibility of the physical body through yoga or internal stamina exercises. You may have started doing backyard gardening. You may have learned to follow your passion for visual/digital arts like painting and photography. You may have started to love reading books, articles, and blogs. You may have found joy in sharing your passion through vlogging.

At this time, we must have overcome our Fear zone and moved to the Learning zone. As we start living in the new normal, we are entering the Growth zone, where we must learn self-mastery and become a higher version of ourselves. This new normal is not a hindrance but a platform for personal growth and development. Let's embrace this potential for growth with hope and optimism.

A lot has changed in a matter of weeks in isolation. We may now still be dreaming about that planned summer vacation. You may now be ready to explore what awaits you in the new normal. 

Circumstances may have changed, but hoping they will not change our being, our beliefs and values, our humanity, and most of all, our faith in God.
© 2020 Del Cusay

Timeless Loving Memories

Mother. That's one precious and sweetest word we could hear. It's not just a word but brought into action by a remarkable, loving woman. 

The sweetest smile, the warmest hug, the thoughtful gesture, and the selfless love. That describes our Mother. Someone we can truly lean on in good times and bad times. Someone who makes us feel loved and cared for. Someone we can depend on.

Today, the world is celebrating Mother's Day, and we honor and revere them in a unique way of remembering their most significant role in our existence. 

A Mother's value and significance may be felt differently by each of us, but it is a universal truth. The world is indebted to the Mothers who brought us into this world and raised us.

On this day, we not only celebrate our mothers but also our GrandMothers, sisters, Aunts, and all the Other maternal figures who have shaped us. Let's remember their greatness and the timeless loving memories they've given us.

The world may be changing, but our Mother's love remains constant, yesterday, today, and in the years to come, even in our lifetime and beyond.

We express our love and gratitude to all mothers, and to those who have personally impacted or influenced our lives. Your love and guidance have made us who we are today.

This is not just a day of celebration but a lifetime of honoring and remembering our mothers, our greatest love who shows us endless love. 

© 2020 Del Cusay

How Do We Survive and Thrive

It's been more than a month since you were quarantined, isolated from people and the community. But remember, this period of isolation can also be a time for personal growth and reflection, a chance to discover new strengths and resilience within yourself.

Some call it home arrest away from the unseen invader. Others may fantasize about it as an extended vacation, but it should not have been this way— never ever this way.

Our world suddenly stopped, but see! It is healing itself. There are lots of changes in our community and the rest of the world. 

If the world is healing, how can we not benefit from it? We, too, must start to heal, and so, like the healing earth, we can become whole again and ready to see the world again.

Healing our body, mind, and soul can significantly contribute to the world. We may have inflicted much pain on our natural world, so we suffer. We suffer from living in uncertainty... beyond our reality.

Now, the world forces us to reflect and heal our minds and emotions. Unless we heal ourselves, we will be prisoners of fate forever.

However, there will always be an antidote for our suffering. It is when our collective actions come together as a global community that benefit the world and humanity. Each of us has a part to play in this healing process.

There is healing in our love, hope, and faith. That's a healing antidote, not a vaccine.

When we think beyond ourselves and do more excellent service to others, we contribute to healing. And so today, no more fear! No more anxiety! It has been replaced by love and understanding.

Yes, we are surviving! But in our desire to stay, we also dare to thrive, grow, and become better and stronger. Our life journey never ends after these challenging times. Hence, there are endless possibilities for us to learn and be of service— even in our own way.

Don't just survive, but thrive! 

© 2020 Del Cusay