My last blog post was on January 5, 2020. My world has changed in many ways since then. Later that month, I travelled back to Nigeria to bury my dear mama. During the first week of February, I went back to work after being off for three months. Mid-March, our agency closed, and I have been working from home since.
I can’t talk about the first half of 2020 without mentioning the Black Lives Matter revolution. Like I told someone, we’re witnessing centuries of pain boiling over. My Black life matters. So does the life of every Black person on the continent. We should be able to breathe.
Overall, to say life has been surreal is an understatement. As I go through cycles of personal and collective grief, I continue to write, to dream. I’m thankful to God that these remain an option for me.
I have to acknowledge the pain and suffering of those who have lost loved ones, lost jobs, lost their sense of safety. For anyone living with mental illness, these are extra difficult times due to limited support services. I see you. I honour you. Your life matters.
As we all look forward to life after Corona, please continue to take care of yourselves.