“A watched pot never boils.”

You’ve no doubt heard that saying. Its origins point to the idea that time passes very slowly when one is waiting for something to happen, especially if that is the only thing one is thinking about.

This is something I’m finding many of us have in common these days, the focus on one thing - namely waiting for that vaccine. We can finally travel again! Have dinner parties! Live life without the worry of contracting what could be a ruinous respiratory infection! While there is light at the end of the tunnel, it’s best not to jump the gun (yup, full of clichés today!).

COVID-19 is still very much with us and while the vaccine will go a long way to corralling it, many predict that the future won’t exactly resemble life before the pandemic. We will just have to take things as they come.

Self-care is still a high priority during these times. Many more people are experiencing depression and anxiety due to the uncertainty, isolation, and stress the pandemic has brought along with it, not to mention the losing loved ones to this terrible virus.

We don’t want to overly simplify things, but as a reminder, self-care can simply be taking a hot bath with some salts to both relax the body and the mind. Light a candle. Read a book. Take a moment for yourself. See the beauty in life around us.

This photograph taken by Eric Smith in 2020 (it’s definitely real!) resonated with me. It perfectly illustrates the idea behind being so focused on one thing that we don’t see the other things happening around us.