Category: Personal journey

Tomorrow March 13th 2022 will make it 730 days since my husbands diagnosis of the infamous Covid-19. These two years have been like no other in my whole 50 years of living, that being said, my family and I are one of the lucky few, who got through these two years and are stronger and thankful for all our blessings.

Covid-19, has affected the whole world and each and everyone has a story to tell and in my own humble opinion, these two years have also been a learning lesson for all of us.

This virus has caused so much grief and heart break but hopefully, it has also taught us that “Together we can make a difference.” Supporting each other in good times and bad times will allow us all to be more compassionate human beings.

Here are some of my reflections from these two years:

• Front-line staff in the hospitals are invaluable and their contribution to our health should never be taken for granted
• Self-care is a necessity not a luxury and there should be no negotiation when it comes to basic wellbeing like sleep, movement, eating and managing stress
• Mental health is just as important as physical health and we all need to be supportive of each other and be open and get help if needed as loneliness and anxiety is on the rise
• Spending quality time with close family and friends is precious and Reconnecting with friends and family is key in strengthening resiliency as we come back to a new normal

Moving forward it is important to remind ourselves of all we have accomplished despite setbacks and adversity, we have all shown how resilient we are as a community by being adaptable and united in fighting this virus.

I hope everyone can reflect on the lessons learnt from these last two years as learning and growing from adversity will further strengthen the Resiliency, we all have shown!

I leave you with a powerful quote “Connect deeply with others. Our humanity is the one thing we all have in common” Melinda Gates

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It is the end of Ramadan, I cannot even believe how this month flew by and I know that it will be missed. One of the things that I did a lot this month and through quarantine is take time to reflect.

Some of my personal reflections:

• We cannot control everything in our lives, we have to accept that there is a higher power
• We cannot be thankful enough for all our blessings big and small. Just breathing daily is a gift
• Cooking can be fun if we get creative
• We take grocery shopping for granted
• Walking in solitude  allows us to be more mindful
• Having our loved ones around us is a gift, when so many people are forced apart
• Zoom calls are allowing us to include more people, we may not even see or meet
• Realizing who your true friends are without having parties
• Life has its ups and downs and it is okay
• Taking one day at a time
• Learning to live with what we have, rather than wanting more
• Smile, laughter can lighten the mood
• Do things that bring you joy, having fun relieves stress
• We do not have to be or look perfect

These are just some, I am sure you all have many of your own.

I truly believe with all the sadness comes hope, and I am hopeful that this time apart will bring us closer as a community as a country and as humans.

Coming back to food, I have spent a lot of time baking and with a lot of dates leftover,  I made a date and nut loaf and I have to say it was delicious and nutritious. Dates are high in fiber and potassium and walnuts are a great source of healthy fats.

Date and Nut Loaf

Ingredients

• 1 cup pitted dates chopped
• 1/2 cup walnuts/pecans
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3 Tbs unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup white flour
• 1/4 tsp salt

Method

Grease a loaf pan and heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Put the warm water in a bowl add the chopped dates,  butter and baking soda. Use a spatula to mix it all up. Beat sugar and eggs, then add to date mixture and beat again. Fold in both the flours with the baking powder and the chopped walnuts and pour the mixture into the loaf tin.

Bake for 50 minutes. Let it cool and then cut slices and store in fridge.

I toast mine and spread some butter and it is bliss!!

Eid Mubarak  and a Happy Memorial day!

Thank you to all the front line Heroes for everything you do!

 

Today it is exactly 2 weeks since AJ had the first shivers and fever. Since yesterday he has not taken any fever medicines, which is a great sign. The infectious disease specialist, said we could take a walk outside this weekend, something I cannot wait to do. He is slowly getting his strength back by doing some indoor simple workouts and drinking the home made broth, which I made at long last!

For all my readers, Thank you for coming on this journey with us. We have had some lows and some highs but through these 2 weeks, the high has been the love and concern from all our friends and family. We are so grateful to each and everyone of you. Thank you to the friends and family who went out of their way to deliver food to us.

Next week, we will get out into the city, but unfortunately the City we love is not the same. Knowing that this “This too shall Pass” is an important mantra for me and that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

We all as a community, city, country and world, have to do what is right in order to beat this virus. We can and will beat this virus. Staying at home currently is the only way to stop it from spreading.

I will still blog my usual food and wellness, but over the next few weeks, I would love to add a point of view from another writer. I have friends and family, across different fields and if anyone would be willing to share their perspective on this platform I know it would be very meaningful to everyone! during times like these I realize all we have is one another and coming together to support one another through shared experiences, both good and bad, is a positive way forward. whether that be things health, wellness, food or lifestyle related, or just funny stories!  My email is jafferh@outlook.com

Too read this blog, you do not need to be on Facebook, you can subscribe to this blog by adding your email at the end.  Every time I post, you will get an email.

I end with love and prayers for the entire world.

I love my beautiful city of NYC

 

Today AJ had a good day but fevers have returned so Corona is a very stubborn virus. Please keep praying as that’s what we all need. I decided to add a guest writer every week, so all my friends get ready to be called on. Here is Saniya Jaffer Business Analyst at Unilever and my pillar of strength!

Hi everyone, today I decided to give my mom a break from the blog and hop on and share my perspective and our ups and downs of day 10.

The topic I wanted to revolve today’s post around is acceptance, and our new normal.

Over the course of the past ten days in quarantine and isolation, myself and my mother have been through a rollercoaster of emotions.

Do we have this virus?

Do we not?

Are we going to catch it from touching the microwave that my father touched?

The tv remote?

Is washing our hands three times in an hour going to prevent the spread?

What will it manifest like in our bodies?

Will it be the same as it was in my father?

In a sense, I know we are all feeling something like this right now, especially in New York. Not in most of your own homes, thankfully. However, we are all in a constant state of worry. Where can we go without exposing ourselves? Should we be scared? Should we be nervous? What is ok, what isn’t? This paranoia has been eating away at all of our sanity, slowly but surely.

While I can’t answer a lot of those questions, what I can say is that social distancing is key. From being in a house with a doctor, I’ve been hearing the updates on hospital capacity, and healthcare workers day in day out working their hardest to help everyone. It is hard to accept that our new normal includes being away from our friends and family, taking less trips, working from home, and staying indoors. However, I can say that accepting this way of life makes it easier to move forward. For me, accepting I can’t go out and see my friends has made me reach out to friends around the world who I’ve lost touch with via phone or video call. It has also allowed me to finally start reading more books, and painting/sketching with my free time.

Through all of this, today both my mother and myself finally felt like we could breathe. It wasn’t anything significant, there were no developments in how we felt or anything like that. But hearing of a couple more people close to us testing positive, we finally came to terms with the fact that we, and many in the city and across the US, are in fact going to get COVID19. And guess what? That’s OK. What makes it okay? The fact that we are doing all we can to protect those who might not be okay- the immune-compromised, the old, the weak- by staying at home and distancing and remembering this daily. In terms of symptoms, neither of us have experienced high fevers, shortness or breath or any sort of cough. What we are experiencing is heightened body aches and pain. Also some fatigue and lack of appetite. Additionally my mother’s eyes have been burning for a few days. There is no guarantee that these are in fact symptoms of the virus, however, accepting that it could be and that we are OK, is a comforting fact. Today I read “About 40 to 80 percent of the state’s population is going to be infected by corona virus, says Governor Cuomo. That amounts to 7.8 million to 15.6 million New Yorker’s infected”. While this could easily feel like an alarming number, if we are staying home and practicing safe distancing, monitoring our bodies, and building up our immune systems- that is the most we can do. Eating healthy, paying attention to our bodies, and staying healthy- this is what will fight the virus for most of us.

Over the past 10 days I’ve felt like I was going crazy at many points in time, however one thing that has been keeping me sane and raising my spirits daily are my friends and family. My friends- not just across the country but across the world- reaching out to me daily, asking me how I am doing, asking how my father is, FaceTiming and making me smile. My cousins and family members- near and far no matter how much time has passed between our last interaction- showing me limitless kindness, love and support. I truly believe that the power of human connection and shared experience will bring us together to support one another and remind ourselves that we are all in this together. We all feel it, and it sucks, but we can and will lift one another up. All of us have so much to be grateful for- our homes, our families, our friends, our ability to connect with our loved ones around the entire world. I keep reminding myself that my problems- are really just a lack of luxury- losing a privilege that is and never was essential to my survival.

How do we move forward? How do we stay sane in this time of unprecedented uncertainty? Hope. Hope that we as a global community will come together to support one another. Hope that we as young people will stay home and distance ourselves to protect those more vulnerable. Hope that our medical professionals stay safe physically and mentally as they see the damage this virus is causing first hand, every single day. Hope that those less fortunate that us are getting by too. Hope that, inshallah, this too shall pass.

My baby did the hard work and so here is my yesterday recipe made with stuff from my pantry and freezer.We wanted something warm, hearty and spicy !!

Red Curry  Soup 

Ingredients

• 1 box chicken stock (4 cups)
• 3 Tbs red curry paste ( its a store bought concentrated paste)
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 quart mushrooms
• 1 tbs brown sugar
• 2 tbs lime juice
• 2 tbs chili garlic sauce
• 2-3 tbs tomato paste
• 10-15 shrimp
• 1 bag shelled edamame
• 2-3 tbs oil
• 1-2 tsp chopped garlic
• 1-2 tsp grated ginger
• 2-3 basil leaves
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 green chilis

Method

Heat the oil, saute the garlic, ginger and onions for a few minutes then add the mushrooms, add  the red curry paste and keep sauteing till vegetables are slightly soft.

In a pan, pour the stock and let it boil, then add the tomato paste and chili garlic sauce, lime juice and brown sugar. Taste to see if the spice is to your liking and add more if needed.Stir and add salt and pepper.

Once the soup is boiled add the onion mushroom mixture. Add the coconut milk and once its mixed well add your shrimps and green chili and let the soup boil so the shrimps cook. Top with basil leaves and enjoy!

Well its day 8 and this virus is stubborn and pneumonia is a symptom and fevers are too. So waiting, praying and hoping is all we can do and knowing that he is monitored by talented doctors and nurses gives me hope. He will be fine as he is one of the strongest and calmest people I know.

Not having him around has finally hit me and I decided not to blog, since I was sad, frustrated and stressed. BUT then I realized that this blog is meant to be an honest journey and I also realized that it is a normal process, so it was okay to cry and feel sorry for myself.

Writing in my gratitude journal, I was overwhelmed with my blessings. I have my daughter with me who is a huge support, she is strong like her dad and made me practice all that I preach. My son is just a phone call away and a shoulder to cry on. It is in times of crisis that you really really value your loved ones, we all take each other for granted and teenage troubles seem so trivial in the big picture. I thought of all the people who don’t have their loved ones with them like some college students and thousands of others. I thought of people who were alone and quarantined in their apartments away from their loved ones. People who were stuck in ships and then those who passed away.

This virus has affected so many people and will keep doing so, but this too shall pass. I realized that this whole mess is out of our control and being positive and taking one day at a time was important  and appreciating all we have is crucial.

I prayed hard for myself and the world, that bought me the most solace. I sat outside and soaked up the sun and tried to get my vitamin D.

Now that the sun has set, I have to get back to figuring out how to teach an online class, tomorrow morning. My techie husband  is unavailable and if weren’t for his expertise, I doubt I would even get my grades in!!!.

On a positive note, lets all love ourselves and avoid guilt and other negative feelings.

Take away:

 

7 days of fevers, this virus is pretty stubborn with the pnemonia diagnosis, he is being monitored very closely by the best doctors and we have to pray  and most important be positive. He is a fighter and will get through this.

Sitting at home with nothing to do in the evenings, I decided to enrol in a course through Coursera.  I enrolled in a positive psychology course and the first thing I learnt about feeling good in times of crisis is what we all already know “Giving Back”

In times of crisis, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and incapable of doing anything to help. But every bit of support makes a difference, because compassion isnt about how bad you feel about something, its about finding ways to ease the burden on those affected most.

We are so so fortunate to be safe in our homes, while there are so many people losing jobs and are unable to pay their rent. Many health workers lives have been turned upside down and help is needed. Apart from a health crisis, we are in a huge economic crisis.

Help is needed desperately and some ideas, I found helpful:

• Research local organizations in the affected area and find out how you can help
• Donate to an organization that is local
• Check if any hospitals or schools need funds
• Feeding America and No kid Hungry are some organizations you can look into
• Practice social distancing as this is a public health crisis

We are all in this together and as a community we need to unite and do things we can control instead of worrying about what we cannot control.

Be optimistic and tell yourselves“We will get through this” There is fear and isolation but hope never dies.

I end with love and prayers for us all. Thank you for all your support, I have received everyones calls and texts.

This picture was on the back of a Healthy Harlem T-shirt and it brings a smile to my face.

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His symptoms are still high fevers but thankfully, with advice from all my amazing physician friends, he discontinued the Advil!

Unfortunately he developed a cough, which led to a  Pneumonia diagnosis. The positive news is he is being monitored by the best doctors and nurses. Health workers are totally on the front lines dealing with this virus, they are all so amazing and we should give them the utmost respect.

My stress level was pretty high today, so after my morning routine, and a few hours of work, I decided to bake. Baking helps me relax, I decided to bake a banana bread for Amir and blueberry muffins for myself. I wanted to use my hemp seeds and walnuts. Once they came out of the oven, I  sat down with the Michelle Obama book, a warm muffin and a cup of Matcha green tea. Green tea can help help with immunity too.

Blueberry hemp seed muffins

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup plus 1Tbs butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 6oz Fage non fat greek yogurt
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup hemp seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/4 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/2 tsp cinammon

Method

Heat the oven to 375 degrees, beat the softened butter and sugar well, beat in the egg and and then beat the greek yogurt, vanilla essence and cinammon.

Mix the flour, baking powder, half the hemp seeds and salt in a seperate bowl and slowly mix with a spatula into the mixture, until just blended. The mixture will be thick. Fold in the blueberries. Use a tablespoon or scoop to put the mixture into the greased muffin pan. Sprinkle each muffin with 1/2 tsp of hemp seeds. Bake for 20 minutes.

The hemp seeds add a delicious crunch to the muffin and are high in omega 3 and many other beneficial micro nutrients. ( I need a photographer for my pics, sorry!!!)

Stress affects us all in different ways, but it is  not always the  stress that is harmful but our reaction to the stress. Thinking about the What ifs is not productive and can again lead to anxiety, which can then weaken the immune system.

One of my favorite quotes is ” Worrying about tomorrow, does not take away tomorrows troubles, it takes away todays peace.”

We all need to build a strong immune system, according to Dr. Amit Sood, “Immune resilience is having an immune system that attacks and eliminates the pathogen, without hurting your body cells or causing excessive inflammation.”

One of the ways we can build our resilience is through the food we eat.Foods contain nutrients and we need many of the micro-nutrients for disease prevention and wellbeing.

The best way to get those nutrients is from wholesome foods. Eating a variety of foods can help us get those nutrients. Fruits, vegetables and a variety of spices like turmeric, ginger and cinnamon can lower inflammation and help improve immunity. Fiber is also key in helping against over eating high calorie, high sugar processed foods.

We all have our favorites, pay attention to the color and if it is a grain, the fiber.

My personal favorites are:

• Blueberries
• Bananas
• Flax seeds, hemp and chia seeds
• Oats
• Kale & spinach
• Avocadoes
• Chickpeas
• Ginger/garlic/turmeric
• Lentils
• Nuts

Cooking at home, is a fun way to bond with your kids and teach them the importance of wholesome foods. Enjoy the indoor time in whatever way makes you happy.

Do not forget to keep moving in any way you can to keep your heart healthy.

Keep my husband in your prayers, I am very positive and so is he.

Good Night!

Had a rough night as his fevers spiked again, tried paracetamol instead of Advil, but fevers are pretty stubborn. He also started a cough, so has gone in for a chest X-ray and labs. He is staying overnight but hanging in there!

Since I also had a rough night, I decided to be be compassionate to myself and sleep in till later. Best decision, it is times like these, where we need to realize self-care. I also bought a vibrating foam roller for a mini massage for all of us.

I woke up and made myself a berry smoothie with yogurt, which is  is a great source of  of probiotics, which are friendly bacteria that can improve your health. I then started my day after a round of sun salutations.

For lunch, I had the same Brown rice cake with hummus and avocado as I needed the healthy fats.

In the middle of the day, when I started getting stir crazy, I walked down my empty stairwell of 13 floors to get my heart rate high, I was winded, when I walked back up. Being creative with movement is key, when you are stuck in small apartments.

For dinner a kind friend, sent me food, so I am taking a break and spending some more time praying and writing this blog after work. I am so thankful for all my supportive friends.

What is self-care: Doing things that benefit your mind and body.  Everyone has different interests, do something that makes you happy and relaxed.

1.   Quality Sleep. Your body needs time to shift into sleep mode, so spend the last hour before bed doing a calming activity such as reading. For some people, using an electronic device such as a laptop can make it hard to fall asleep, because the particular type of light emanating from the screens of these devices is activating to the brain. If you have trouble sleeping, avoid electronics before bed or in the middle of the night.
2.  Doing relaxing stretches, I love doing  Sun salutations. They are a set of yoga poses, that show gratitude for the sun, which symbolizes life. This set of poses help the mind and the body and can also help with immunity. I teach a class at work and here is a clear picture, follow the breathing. Modify as needed as everyone is different. Start with 1 round, building up.
3. Avoid watching so much news and social media it can  causes fear and anxiety, both emotions lead to panic and hysteria. The hysteria is what is causing grocery stores to empty, buy what you need but always remember that many others are lacking. The CDC website is reliable and accurate.
4. Compassion for yourself and others is key as we all need to realize that we are important and we should prioritize our physical and mental well being. Try reaching out to the elderly and needy, as social distancing can cause social isolation for many people.

We will get through this, it will get worse before it gets better but being calm and optimistic is the way we can control our fear. Do not forget to remember to stop and breathe.

As I begin my first day working from home while being quarantined, some reflections from this weekend. The weekend was overall fine. In terms of my husbands symptoms, they are primarily consistent high fevers and chills. He alternates with Tylenol and Advil and is monitoring his breathing. I know he will get through it.

New York Hospitals are really bombarded, and I have a new found appreciation for all health care workers. Since my husband has been working from home, I can hear all the hard work that is being done preparing for this virus. They are on the front lines, saving lives. It is easy to get stuck in thinking about or feeling bad for ourselves being stuck indoors, but we are in the comfort of our homes, with all our luxuries. Meanwhile, doctors, nurses and healthcare workers are tirelessly working to keep our cities safe. Lets not forget that and thank those around us, and count our blessings!

Monday morning was really weird as I have not really worked from home in my role as a Health Coach, especially working out of my bedroom, since the living room has been taken over by A and his calls.

I woke up and after writing in my gratitude journal, decided to make a schedule. Working from home can sometimes be harder I’ve noticed, as we tend to just sit in front of our computers and forget to get up to hydrate or eat. I scheduled snack, movement and water breaks for myself throughout the day to keep myself on track.  Hydration is key for our wellbeing- and fluids- especially simple water keep us hydrated and can help avoid the emotional eating we all tend to do when we are home. I am keeping track of how much water I drink in the next 14 days.

For breakfast, I made oatmeal with bananas, hemp seeds, and almonds, sprinkled with honey. For lunch, I had a brown rice cake with Hummus and sliced avocado, I sprinkled the Trader Joes lime chili seasoning and drizzled some olive oil. I made a berry smoothie with flax as a snack. All the above are immune boosting foods. Eating plant based foods helps with inflammation.

At 3pm, I took out 5 minutes to listen to a 5 minute meditative session. Taking a break away from all the anxieties and fears is key in calming us down. It allows us to focus better and stay in the present. Different Apps have these short 5 minute sessions and I highly recommend them to any one who wants to focus better and decrease stress. The more you listen and practice the better you feel. Consistency is key.

After I finished my work day, I went out on my balcony and did the 7 minute workout by Johnson & Johnson.  Very effective in getting my heart rate high. I did 50 skips and some lunges. I do not think this equates to my gym time but something is better than nothing.

I then cooked a Turmeric yogurt soup called Karhi and lentil rice called khichri. Soups warm the body and hopefully will help the cough,also, the comfort foods that remind us of childhood and home have a certain nostalgia that warm the soul.

To make the meal balanced, Saniya and I made a delicious spinach salad.

Ingredients

• 1 bag spinach
• 1/2 a box of strawberries, sliced
• 1/2 cup of pecans
• 1/4 cup feta cheese
• 1/2 red onion sliced
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tsp honey
• 1tsp dijon mustard

Method

Make the vinaigrette in a glass jar and shake it up. You can either candy your pecans (sautee chopped pecans in a pan with a tblspn brown sugar) or keep them plain.

Assemble all the ingredients, pour the dressing and toss.

Few thoughts for today:

1. Make a schedule when working from home and add in your food, movement, and water breaks!
2.  Don’t forget to take out time to breathe, spend some time doing nothing work or health related. I bought a coloring book and pencils and it is very soothing!
3. Eat a variety of fresh plant foods throughout the day and be conscious of your immune system’s strength. a good test is how naturally colorful your plate is!

The highlights of my day were receiving videos of my family around the world enjoying their time at home.

Watch a funny movie or video as we need to be optimistic! Make those around you laugh and smile 🙂

I am ending my day with a piece of dark chocolate from Royce. Delish!!!!

Hi friends,

My husband was diagnosed with covid19 yesterday and a dear friend suggested I blog my journey, so here I am blogging my 14 day journey.

As a Health and Wellbeing Coach, clients coming into my office are coming in scared and  fearful about the future and my advice again and again is to build your immune resilience and today I am going to talk about how I am trying to build mine, so hoping and praying that I do not catch this virus.

On Thursday evening 3/12, Amir had chills in the evening and when he came home he had a fever of 101, he decided to work from home on Friday after getting tested in his car.

Thursday night his fever spiked again at and he took Tylenol but unfortunately it was not very effective in reducing the fever, so he ended up taking an Advil, which finally did reduce the fever. Only take what works for you as everyone is different, always check with your health professional.

Saturday afternoon 3/14 the test came back as positive for the virus, he was optimistic but Saniya and I were quite sad, but after giving myself a few hours of pity time, I decided to be optimistic and write down all the things I have that many people do not, being grateful, improved my mood and psyche really quickly and I decided to start a gratitude journal to get me through the next few weeks..

Since it was a sunny day and I knew the importance of being active, I got my heart rate high by doing 100 skips and some lunges on the balcony, one of the many things I am grateful for!!!

Before I went to bed, I did some sun salutations to help relax me, in order to get a good night sleep.

Now to the food, since food deliveries are one week drop dates, I decided to take stock of all I had at home. Again I am so grateful for lentils, rice, chickpeas, eggs and rice- enough to last a very long time. Amir felt like eating hot and sour soup, so I  decided to use what I had and it turned out pretty good. Here is the recipe:

Hot and Sour soup made with what I have in the pantry and fridge:

Ingredients

• 1 box chicken stock
• 15 frozen shrimp
• 1/4 cup tomato ketchup
• 4 Tbs Soy sauce
• 4 Tbs Apple cider vinegar
• 4 tsp brown sugar
• Black pepper, salt and chili flakes
• 2 green chilies
• 3 eggs
• 2 Tbs corn starch mixed well with some water to make a smooth paste
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 bag of frozen corn

Method

Whisk the ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar in a bowl. Boil the stock in a pot, then add the ketchup mixture. Once it is mixed well add the condiments to your taste. Then add the green chilies, carrots and corn, let them cook and add in your shrimp.

Once the shrimps turn pink, add the cornstarch mixture, keep stirring to prevent clots, once the soup is thick, beat 3 eggs and slowly pour into hot soup, stirring while pouring. Give it one last boil and Voila you have a hearty soup. Make a side salad and you have a balanced meal. Enjoy!

As I take all of you on this journey with us, I do believe the 2 most important things I have realized today are:

1. Do not spread misinformation and add to the growing hysteria
2.  Think of creative ways to stay connected to your network without exposing others
3. Stay positive and remember your blessings often

 

Over the past few days, myself and my connected daughter have been video chatting with friends and family far and near, and have been able to lean on those who care for  us. Their support and friendship is appreciated in these times, again something I am grateful for.

Saniya has mentioned that despite the quarantine, she feels happy and positive to see all those around her who are so loving and supportive, even just through the phone. Reach out to those around you, calm those down who are feeling stressed, and relax yourself in whichever way works best for you.

I for example pray, do yoga, read and indulge in some Netflix.

In this day and age of constant information overload, please do be mindful of misinformation. Speak to the medical professionals in your network and around you if you can, and if not please do use the WHO & CDC websites found here:

• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
• https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Finally, STAY POSITIVE! Despite being in a household with a doctor suffering, I am, as is my husband, very positive. Till tomorrow!!