Spring is here officially!! The daffodils are up and smiling, the magnolias have just started to join the party, Easter is just around the corner, longer brighter days, vaccinations doing real good, kids back at school, a happening road map out of lockdown and with my diary filling up with feel good face to face catch ups, life is getting bloody great!

Ram Dass says ‘ It is important to expect nothing, to take every experience, including the negative ones as merely steps on the path, and then proceed’.

So, even though I struggle to expect nothing, I can defo work on lowering my hopes, dreams, plans and expectations to align with where the world is right now. Ya know like, I expect to struggle immensely with debt and my independent small business this year as I did last year. It’s just money, at least I have my health and my love.

I expect I will not go on holiday even though I now have a shiny blue British Passport! That’s ok nobody else is either, so long boozy picnics in the park playing circus games it is!

I expect visiting whanau in New Zealand is out of the picture while Jacinda and her crew make it financially unviable for their own nationals. And thats fine too! At least I know they are all safe and living their best life in carefree quiet Aotearoa, and to be fair, absence makes the heart grow fonder aye Elemeno P x

I expect my kids to snap and push boundaries as they suffer puberty and navigate a future on the planet as we continually fuck it up for them. And while I throw out some shit things at them now and again, I am proud as punch, when they use my logic and basic teachings against me!

I expect the government to give zero fucks about me and my community and the people I love while they continue to purchase private planes, redecorate properties and continue to disappoint us with almost every action. Although MT did receive £5000 last year for the original lockdown, which we begged for (as we were considered non eligible) which just covers 2 months rent, but whatever better than a kick in the teeth and NHS key workers did get a 1% pay raise so I guess Boris really is grateful to have had his life saved by these people!

I expect social media to suck me into hours of doom scrolling while I procrastinate tasks and find myself spiralling into a hole of self doubt and self disrespect. But on the flipside, I am able to connect to other creative folk from all over the world, old high school mates, sign petitions in 2 seconds, get insane amounts of inspiration and instruction, enter competitions I never win and watch from a creepy distance how other people live their best lives!

So in summary, this Easter as we commemorate and celebrate the disgraceful betrayal of Judas towards our Lord Jesus Christ who died for our sins in most cruel of ways so we can live in eternal peace in heaven, or something like that, I think that Covid-19 is also giving us some memorable take aways.

Jesus being murdered sucked – but we all get 4 days off work and eat non stop chocolate in the sun and Covid ruined a year of opportunities and plans (and killed mountains of people) –  but now we appreciate the little things in life like family, community and human touch x Ok,  so not quite as magnificent as our almighty God, but also an achievable way of life I am willing to practice being grateful for.

Peace out x Arohanui x