Kendra Davis, Senior Management Analyst with City of Santa Clara, reporting for duty! LinkedIn or Twitter, pick your poison.
What I’m reading: I have been BURNING through some science fiction & horror because I figure we’re already living in a dystopian future, so why not lean in? The Lightest Object in the Universe by Kimi Eisele was a good read with just a scooch of romance amidst a post-apocalyptic backdrop.
What I’m watching: Doing a delightful retrospective of the Great British Bake Off! Honestly, such a necessary bright spot in the unending onslaught of 2020.
When I’m not reading: Homesteading like crazy – I’m handwashing clothes, recently bought a bunch of wide-mouth jars from a garage sale, making my own almond milk and haven’t bought a loaf of bread in almost six months (full disclosure, I am not the one baking those loaves).
Welcome to Monday, September 14, 2020. You made it! I’m really proud of you for being here.
I wrote an entire Morning Buzz that was thought-provoking, mildly manic and pretty cynical (which is kind of my lane during these end times, tbh), and when I reread it this morning, it felt like Too Much. It wasn’t what I wanted to give you this morning because we’re six months into a global pandemic, the west coast is burning down, election campaigns are in full swing, I haven’t seen my parents or my new niece who is practically an angel in almost a year, and I don’t know how you feel on Monday mornings but I. Do. Not. Feel. Great.
PHEW.
What I want to give you this morning is an opportunity to slow down.
Take a few minutes of deep breaths.
Unclench your jaw.
Roll out your shoulders.
I want you to blink a few times and look away from your screen, maybe even find a window where you can see a tree or a patch of grass. Have you talked to that one plant in your house that’s still alive yet? Tell him what a great job he’s doing and promise to water him more (or less, depending).
Find your cat or your dog or even your child and appreciate how much love and brightness they carry. Even if they’re pooping on your floor or having a tantrum.
If it’s your child, give them a butterfly kiss (but let them turn their camera off first because How Embarrassing).
Stand up, lift your arms over your head and stretch for three blissful seconds. Take a deep breath, bend your knees and bend at your waist, letting your arms and neck go loose (but also, this one can be hard, so be gentle!) Roll yourself back up to standing very slowly, one vertebrae at a time, and take a deep breath when you reach the top. Here are more easy stretches to try!
These are weird times, guys. I’m trying to be a great employee, friend, daughter, aunt, dogmom, community member, etc. but also dealing with an onslaught of emotions I swear I left in college (I had So Many emotions) and struggling with some pretty large, complex social issues. It is…a lot. And I definitely don’t have any recommendations on how to navigate it, so sorry if that’s where you thought this was going!
But I do have a minute to take a deep breath. And no matter what else is happening in your life today, I encourage you to find one too. Just breathe deep, wiggle your fingers and your toes, and remember that I am so proud of you for making it to today.