As I looked at my watch that I just had the battery replaced, I found myself whispering this thought to myself. I felt a shift in my mindset. Just like this watch, time has started flowing for me again.

In March 2020, as the first lockdown was placed due to the pandemic, my life came to a pause. Suddenly I couldn't make plans to go out, mainly because I now did my work from home. I stayed at home almost all of the time, also because I wanted to keep my family safe.

Now, almost exactly 2 years later, I'm finding my footing again in terms of life outside of my house. Little by little, I'm starting to have plans-- people to meet, and places to visit. Slowly, I'm feeling myself ease out, pushing my walls down and gradually opening the possibilities of socializing and making plans again.

Two years since the pandemic started (and of course I still recognize that this is still ongoing), I have become a different person. I have learned to become empathetic. I learned to listen more, not just to others, but more importantly to myself. I learned to "feel my feelings", if you know what I mean. I learned to be self-compassionate, to recognize my worst sides, and still accept me for who I am. When I started to recognize my weakest sides, that's when I became stronger. When I started to acknowledge my scars and flaws, that's when my healing started. The time in limbo helped me process some of my repressed and unprocessed feelings.

I will always be a work-in-progress. That's how life is. We continue to learn, because we continue to grow and improve ourselves. As I slowly step out of the quarantine of my body, mind, and soul, I'm now ready to experience life once more, bringing with me all the lessons that I have learned in isolation.

As I listen to my watch ticking again, I will always remember to cherish this life that I have, and be grateful for every second of it.💖