My COVID Experience

 The COVID experience 

 

I have given much thought on what to write about for my last blog. After contemplating my options, I figured I'd hop on the bandwagon and talk about how the Coronavirus has impacted me. There are definitely some negative effects that this tragedy has generated, however, I have surprisingly been impacted in a positive way. 

 

Before I get to the good of the virus, let me get the negatives out of the way. To start, seeing my friends and family have come to a very minimum. After being used to seeing my friends every day at school and seeing my family almost every weekend, I am incredibly down because now I can't. And it has been months since I've seen them. Not being able to hang out or party with my family is something that really saddens me. I have never gone this long without seeing them. Let me not forget about all the plans that my friends and I wanted to check off our list! Or the cute date to Disneyland I was going to go on with my boyfriend!  

 

Even after all the negatives that Coronavirus has created, my life has dramatically changed. I have become more fit and healthier than ever and have even learned how to cook some delicious food! Early in quarantine, my household created a cooking schedule where we each have a specific day to cook dinner for the family. I got lots of recipes from The kittchen. There are so many mouthwatering, yet healthy recipes that I have prepared for my family using this website. To name a few, I have made turkey burgers, regular burgers, tacos, pizza, and much more. One of my favorite recipes is the bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers, it is such an easy and savoring meal that can be made with potatoes and vegetables! I really advise that you try it! it definitely will not disappoint. 

 

Not to mention, in the middle of quarantine, my cousin started a transformation challenge that most of my household has decided to participate in. The winner of the challenge wins $500 and some fun, fit prizes. In order to win, you must not only lose weight, but you have to lose body fat and build muscle as well. As motivation to win the challenge, I have continued to eat clean and workout almost every day of the week. And sometimes multiple times in one day. Going from a 2 mile run in the morning, to ab workouts, to Zumba class, to playing volleyball to end the night has become an exercise-filled Monday. Without this challenge, I would have probably never gotten to play volleyball like this again and I look forward to Monday's because of it. I have reconnected with the game I love and it feels phenomenal.  

 

Although the coronavirus has greatly impacted everyone in a negative way, I truly believe that this is a blessing in disguise.  

This is the bacon wrapped jalapeño popper chicken! So delicious! 

Dreaming of Reality

The other night I had a dream about my grandmother. It was my birthday and I stood in the kitchen looking towards the living room. In shock. Disbelief. Is this really a dream? Was that really my grandmother sitting on the couch as if she'd never passed away?  

 

She sat on her usual corner spot on the old, nut brown couch, wearing her black Mumu dress with red flowers on it. She was watching her favorite TV show, The Golden Girls and laughed every time they said something funny. She then called me over to talk to her. I don’t remember much of what she said besides the words "Forgive me", and then she gave me the tightest hug. I caught a whiff of the rich perfume and cream she used to wear every day. The aroma that I would kill to linger through my nose just one more time. To see, smell, hear, and touch her. It all felt so surreal.  

 

It is crazy to me that I wrote my personal essay about my grandmother and days later, she comes up in my dream! Not only that, but she showed up in my mother's dream on the same night.  

 

We don’t seem to think much of our dreams simply because they are dreams. When we had nightmares as a child, our parents would usually say "It's okay, it's just a dream" just to make us feel better. To feel like what we were dreaming about isn't actually real. Although dreams aren't real, they have deeper meanings to them. Our emotions heavily impact the way we dream. I'm sure many of us have had dreams about falling, being naked in public, or even teeth falling out. Most of these dreams signify that either something is not going well in life, you're afraid, or stressed. The article from the website Very Well Mind, lists the types of dreams most people have and the meaning behind it. I thought it was very interesting to read that after having a dream about falling teeth indicates the possibility of being stressed or worried.  

 

Another website that was very interesting was Power of Positivity. This lists seven signs that a loved one is contacting you. The fifth sign was "Your dream feels so real". The author describes that emotions are so strongly involved that you can feel their presence. This is often a "reawakening of grief" that the loved one did not "mean to cause pain, but wanted to be near you again". After writing my personal essay and having this dream, I realized that this was a reawakening of grief. My personal essay portrayed my real feelings that I have never spoken about with anyone about her passing and I truly believe that she was trying to contact me for comfort and reassurance.  

Here is an old image of my grandmother and I 

Failure Toward Success

 

Often times we think it is absolutely unacceptable to fail. But little do we know, it's all a part of the process to success! Failure can be deceiving and discouraging. But we are imperfect. No human is perfect and that is what makes humans, humans.  

 

Author, actress, and civil rights activist, Maya Angelou says, "It may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it." This is very important to remember because we forget that failing is okay. In fact, failure is a major key to success! Without failure, we will never learn from our mistakes so that in the future, we can do better to ultimately, live a better and happier life. 

 

I think we can all relate to this especially because this is just the beginning of our careers. Most of us are young and dumb. We make poor, child-like decisions that we cannot take back. And there's not much to do, but learn and do better in the future.  

 

To add, our society often reiterates that we need to have it all together as soon as possible. But we don't! It's okay to take our time and go at a comfortable pace to get to where we want to be. I know how it feels to fail and feel disappointed in myself. Mostly timid to disappoint my parents and ashamed of what others will think. I too forget that failing is normal, but I just have to keep reminding myself that I am young and have a long ways to go. The failures that I have experienced already, are not the only ones and there are plenty more to come.  

 

We've all been there, and if you haven't yet you will one day. And that is okay.  

 

I think it is important to understand what comes along with being successful. The website Very Well Mind lists six steps for success. Failure being a part of the first step! 

 

The website called B plans, does a very good job in providing many quotes about failing to succeed. I think they are very helpful and motivational for people who are struggling to accept that failure is an asset to success.  

 

I like this image because it demonstrates how we often think that we need to choose between failure or success. We need to remember that failure and success goes hand in hand. We would not be able to reach success if we don't fail.  

 

I Am From

I am from splendid sunlight and warm moonshine, 

From palm trees to beautiful beaches. 

I am from the city of San Diego, surrounded by cookie cutter houses. 

I am from chaos and crowded dinner tables, 

And the aroma of freshly cooked bread.  

 

I am from blood pressure cuffs and computers,  

From Grace and Dennis. 

I am from discipline and support, 

From do your chores and get good grades. 

Don’t hit your sister and love one another.  

I am from the never ending life lessons that aspire me to be great.  

 

I am from Toves and Sablan, 

The backbone of the family from the Island of Guam.  

From freshly peeled grapes to buttery saltine crackers.  

From you are my sunshine's and doggy's for sale in the window.  

I am from the small lemon tree, my family and me planted, 

In memory of our sweet Sablan King. 

 

I am from the family whose pictures sit on the dining room wall, 

Revealing the collages of our loved ones.  

Displaying the happiness. 

The laughter and love. 

That never went away and never will.  

The collages on our wall! :)

 ANALYSIS:

I approached this poem focusing on the theme of family. Throughout George Ella Lyson's poem, she speaks about her parents, grandparents, and her family tree. So I thought I should speak about my family tree. In the first stanza, I describe where I am from and transition to describe my own household.  

 

Next, just like Lyon, I speak about my parents and the things that I was always told throughout my life. Whether it be supportive or disciplinary. 

 

In the third stanza, I wrote about my grandparents. I included the things my grandfather used to do for me (peel grapes etc.) and the songs my grandmother used to sing to me (you are my sunshine).  

 

In the end, I tied everything together about my family. I followed Lyon's structure about the dress box under the bed, but instead they are collages in my house that display moments of happiness in the family.  

 

I'm not very good at making poems but I think I did a pretty good job on this one. I think I was able to demonstrate a part of who I am.