Yet, on March 16, 2020, everything I used to do for self-care was taken away. I couldn’t escape to the coffee shop for a moment of quiet. I couldn’t go for a walk with my best friend. Getting on a plane to go to my favorite place or even driving to the beach were off the table. In fact, instead I was now expected to be a parent, a teacher, a coach, a cook, a cleaner, a business owner, and a caretaker for my parents.
One of my simple pleasures, going to Target, had now become an anxiety-producing event. Would I be able to get the supplies my family needed? Would I get exposed to COVID-19? The day the clerk sneezed all over my groceries – and this was before masks were required – about made me crazy.
It was that day that I realized I was going to have to find ways to incorporate malama into the new normal. I started with my shower. Whenever I would go out, I would come home and shower. I dug out my favorite passion fruit scrub from Ola and I massaged my hands and fingers. Just smelling the passion fruit would help me calm down.