peak bloom chaos
on my mind
I made it out to see the cherry blossoms on the National Mall last weekend before peak bloom ends, and even in a pandemic, there were still people allll over the place! The unapologetic laughing, playing, running, dancing, and hugging on display was heartwarming but surreal. I’m super grateful to be half vaccinated (second dose scheduled in a few weeks), so I’m hopeful…but it’s still strange to be around crowds of that size and not worry. When are we finally going to be okay? Can we just enjoy the beauty of the flowers and get annoyed by everyone’s selfie sticks like the before times?
Not only is spring here, but Ramadan begins this week, sneaking up on me as usual. I feel moderately prepared but also anxious to adjust to fasting once again in isolation. There was so much optimism that we’d only experience one pandemic Ramadan and here we are again. Thankfully, there are some plans to do some outdoor community iftars and more of my friends and family are getting vaccinated, so we will be able to gather to some extent.
I leave you with 2 questions and a poem by Ada Limón:
If you’re observing Ramadan, how are you feeling about it and how do you plan to spend the month? If you don’t know much about Ramadan, check out this short thread to learn more and support your Muslim friends, family and coworkers.
Have you heard anything from your workplace about going back to the office or working from home? What’s your situation looking like for summer/fall 2021?
what i’m noting
Read // Mexican Gothic — Even though I don’t generally like spooky/scary/horror stories, I was drawn to this book’s title and gorgeous cover. Then I was intrigued by the premise of a young woman, Noemi, living in 1950s Mexico City, who goes to visit her cousin after she receives a letter from her expressing fear that her new husband might be trying to kill her. If you’re interested, you do have to get through the slow, gloomy middle before the story ratchets up the action and chaos. Latest I’ve heard is they are turning it into a mini-series! Let me know your thoughts if you’ve read it!
Write // National Poetry Month — Join me for another 30 days, 30 poems challenge over on my Instagram page, where I’ve been writing one poem a day for the month of April. Every year I think, there’s no way I can do this and there’s been a few days so far, where I’ve just barely made it, so embrace the messiness and start writing! You can find prompts here to inspire you and also join my Saturday Clubhouse poetry writing sessions at 11 a.m. ET in the Writing Room. Reply to this email and I’ll send you a link to the room!
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— Nesima