"We are all here. We are together." - Zeina Saleh

"Due to the unfortunate plague that struck the earth, we’ve all found ourselves in an interesting yet extremely confrontational conundrum. How can I possibly entertain myself within the confines of my humble abode? For the first time in a while we are forced to sit with our worst enemy, our brain, and think what could I possibly do to entertain you, whilst trying to overcome inevitable fears that have risen our every TV, phone, billboards, and various other platforms that continue to instill fear among us.

Personally, whilst undergoing social distancing I have made it a point to try and escape the saddening reality at hand and immerse myself in various activities because I can't help but feel lost. I started by placing my phone in a drawer, essentially distancing myself from any chance of reading fake news and negative commentary that seems to engulf every space within social media, leaving a not-so-great impact on ones psyche.

I created somewhat of an escape for myself by entering different realms or realities. Whether thats through getting extremely attached to a beautifully written novel such as The Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany or diverting all my focus immensely on the carefully calculated choice of colors I will use within my next painting.

However, sometimes I do find myself sitting on the couch, starting outside the window, listening to the birds joyously chirping and not knowing what the hell to do with myself.

This has taught me the importance of being able to spend time with yourself and truly enjoy it. This too, has taught me that I should listen closely to my mothers jokes because they have the power to fill me with a great and incomparable joy.

This tough me that being able to sit down and play a competitive game of scrabble with my mother, brother, and father is something priceless.

We are all here.

We are together.

So maybe this is a thank you to this pandemic for making us look within, fully comprehending the importance of being able to spend quality time with yourself, and to simply appreciate your mother, your father, your brother, and your sister.

 Zeina Saleh