Relearning

I am somewhat the middle child (and favourite) out of us 4 siblings. I have an older sister, me, my younger sister and brother. Way before my brother came along, it was just us 3 girls. Mom and dad made sure we were taught young on being strong, confident and able to get things done on our own.

Dad made sure we knew how to read, swim, climb trees, ride a bicycle, horse riding, learning how to drive a car, weeding gardens, which tools to pass to him during building/carpentry and the list goes on. Of course, mom was the same and would cheer us on even when we got into trouble. Oh and might I add, that back then we used to get good hidings from mom and dad, something that my younger brother didn’t really receive ( I still think its unfair)!

Before I joined university, the beach was part of our every weekend routine. How could it not be, we lived on the Coral Coast after moving back from New Zealand. Dad had made sure we knew how to swim and snorkel. I would jump off a boat with the others to snorkel reefs and then get into trouble for that.

Things started to change for me when I gradually immersed into university life and even when I graduated. Things I would usually love doing was no longer part of my life.

And then COVID-19 happened. During COVID-19 and the lock-down, work was and still is my immediate priority. Just like you, I suddenly had time on my hand (other than work of course). But then you realise, there is still so much time to do other things given that nothing is as normal as before.

My usual routine would be work, workout, eat, catch up in cafes or for a drink, sleep and repeat. I saw many of you start to do things you wouldn’t normally do. Like baking the shit out of everything, gardening, sewing, reading, writing or like me heading back to the ocean.

Before, I would barely even make it home to Sigatoka for the weekend! Now I find it so important to just take off in the weekend and spend time with my family and do things together like swimming and snorkelling.

And just like that, I am relearning myself and making it a habit to do more of things I use to love to do. It feels great to be back to the old me, the person I was growing up and it feels special.

I miss my older sister that lives in America with her family and I also miss my younger sister that lives in Australia. Once this is all over, I truly hope we are all reunited at a beach, snorkelling away like in the good old days. Except this time, I will be surrounded by my handsome nephews.

So to you reading this, life is now, make it happen.

Because that is how I plan to live my life, in the moment, in the now. x