Tag trinidad blogger

Bring de cake!

trinimomindmiddle 1 Comment
Happy New Year! Feliz Año Nuevo! Bonne Année! Xīnnián hǎo!

(Google helped me with my Mandarin…)

I feel like I can still send you good tidings even if we are still in the 9th month of January and while it may feel old (especially fuh we who crawling to payday), the year is still basically new. Hell, some people are still writing 2021 for the date, ah could bet meh last struggling Christmas snacks on dat.

I have long given up on the idea of New Year’s Resolutions and if there is anything the last two years of ‘WTF’ have taught us, it is to just be resolute in living every day. So for this new year, much like 2021 (especially when we thought the ‘rona would disappear at midnight and we would return to normalcy), I am keeping my aspirations very measured and I am trying to live my best life one day at a time. As a matter of fact, I have taken up the hashtag #bringthecake stolen without remorse from a recent release from Mary J. Blige who is my aunty/godmother even if she doesn’t know it yet. #bringthecake is a reminder to me to live everyday like it’s your birthday (much like the song which I have on endless repeat). Life is short and rather than live in anticipation of the next big thing, I choose to regard the small victories, day by day.

Now this may not be your recipe, some people are still throwing their line, aiming far to reel in the big goals while others are experiencing ‘failure to launch’, not sure of the what or the how or the why, still shell-shocked from 2021. I regard both positions and to me, they are both acceptable as I am a very strong advocate for ‘do what works for you’.

My 2022 hashtag goes well with my 2022 quote which is again stolen without remorse from Carl Jung, a Swiss theorist I studied many blood moons ago but whose words will be relevant for me this year:

Jung Inspirational Quotes Vision. QuotesGram
A whole Tedtalk in a couple ah lines

I don’t know if it is a thing with being in your forties (and those in the later forties feel free to let me know in the comments please) but suddenly I feel very purposeful with being self-aware and what genuinely connects me to me, as though it is now THE THING that matters. I feel like it is not a new journey but a new type of discovery I am yet to undergo. One thing for sure is that I have made it a definite priority to remain focused on celebrating the person who is going to grow from it all. Sounding good?

Aye, do me a favour and remind me of this whenever I say that my work/gremlinz/husband/plants/students/Trinidad society in general are driving me blasted insane. Feel free to send some damn cake! Ah will appreciate dat.

Bless

TMIDM

P.S. I also have a word for 2022, check it out here and of course lemme know what you picked for your word, quote, mantra or hashtag for 2022 in the comments below!

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Self Care is always in Season (Blogmas #10)

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https://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/santa-relax-meditation-winter-christmas-holiday-vector-22367686

So somehow you got caught up in the frenzy of the season, I know how it is trust me. This time of year can throw you terribly off balance, we are of course less than five days away. Pressha!

Here are my simple recommendations below. Short, sweet and to the point so they hit you directly:

  1. Nothing is perfect and that’s ok – Were you aiming to create a splash for the holidays in the areas of clean up, gifting, food, decor or whatever else and fell short? Whatevs….nothing and nobody is perfect and I’m sure that it can be made up at another time and in another way.
  2. Love yourself and nurture your emotions – As I mentioned in yesterday’s blog, be kind and gentle
    • with yourself if you don’t feel festive because your feelings are valid
    • to others if you recognize that they are struggling. Affirm them and respect their emotions
  3. Get your alone time – Yes, the season is one that is centred on the family and the human connection but in everything don’t forget to check in on yourself and affirm what matters to you to keep you wholesome
  4. Come out the house – Put some calming distance between yourself and your home if the frenzy is scattering your atoms. Exercise or walk barefoot!……but not too far if you don’t need to because 0m!cr0n is a thing. Be safe.

See! Short and saweeeet! Of course if all else fails to shut out the noise, please feel free to make a cup of coffee, tea or hot cocoa (and by “tea” and “hot cocoa” I really mean “coffee or wine” because we must recognise greatness….)

Bless

TMIDM

A Christmas Triggered (Blogmas #9)

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I have been very positive in my expressions for Christmas holidays but even with my happy thoughts, words and vibes, at the back of my mind I still hold all the people triggered by Christmas for various reasons, who see it as a hurdle that they need to get over. The fact remains that for some the Christmas season is one that they need to come and go expeditiously.

Photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels

We know that it is a time for family but the reality is that some are quite alone with no-one to celebrate with and no-one to consider celebrating it with. This time of the year creates a heightened anxiety and wreaks havoc on the emotions as some go through the entire spectrum. There are also others who live with family members but who are also quite alone gearing up to put down a pretense worthy of Oscar nomination. Christmas is nothing joyous or festive in these cases and most are just trying to hold it together.

There are those among us that see this time as one of waste, a time to spend money that isn’t available and a ‘celebration’ of over work just for one day. The meaning of Christmas is lost behind the heavy commercialization so this viewpoint is fair (with maybe Valentine’s Day running a very close second). For many it is a great financial challenge that clouds any reason to celebrate as one would like so Christmas becomes more stress than anything else. This rings true especially for those who would have lost their jobs during the paralytic* and even more so for those with little mouths to feed.

I spare thoughts also for those who would have lost loved ones during this time. The Christmas season is triggering and painful when you lose someone close to you especially in mysterious cases, health matters or violent circumstance. The holiday becomes a yearly reminder of that pain with accompanying memories to rehash year after year. As we continue to deal with the ‘rona, some of us have loved ones who heralded 2021 but didn’t make it to Christmas 2021 and even more heartbreaking is that by the time that this post is published, even more will fall victim to the virus indeed even on Christmas Day itself. These covidious times are merciless with no apologies and no consideration of holidays.

The joyful Christmas feeling is close to or completely non-existent and in some cases may never be again and we must be kind in our approach to those going through it and try not to force ‘the bright side’ of festivity down their throats. Do you agree or no? Let me know in the comments.

Bless

TMIDM

*pandemic