A Month’s Round-up in Cats + Happy Mail COMBO MEAL

Whaaa? A Monthly Round-up? Does that mean…the Monthly Round-Up editor, Kat, can finally interpret time, and figure out when the end of the month is?

Yep! Coming at you HOT with a Happy Mail – Monthly Round-Up COMBO! Which means it’s basically a Happy Mail but instead of indignantly posting dogs on this Warriors blog, I’ll post some, hmph, cats…I guess.

Looking through my older posts, a year ago (ish) I was enthusiastically encouraging you all to keep at your New Year’s resolutions. Right now, in the throes of a stressful junior college semester and my first internship, that type of motivation seems absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to source right now. To be honest, I haven’t been able to get through a few hours of stressful activity without CRYING! I think it’s the pandemic and quarantine getting to me. So what’s the solution? What do we do?

Well, of course, I will always say that you should tell a trusted adult if your anxiety or depression is getting out of control. Outside of professional solutions, regarding motivation, sometimes you honestly just have to take a break. You don’t need a certain list of qualifications in order to “deserve” a break. Right now, even if you’re not severely affected by the pandemic, you’re still living through a darn historical event. You’re owed a rest, for just living through whatever your personal-energy-barometer allows.

If you can’t afford a day or a weekend of mindless activity and rest, then please, even just take ten minutes. Empty your brain. No thoughts involving what if’s or I should be are allowed. Breathe deeply, lie down, and remind yourself, convince yourself, “it’s okay.” Whatever stressor weighing on you is certainly not a matter of life or death, and even if it somehow was, I’m sure it’s not something you can control. Just exist, and you’ll get through it. You always have. You have a 100% survival rate on everything life has thrown at you. There’s no reason why this will be any different.

On that note, I will switch gears. In what I thiiink was my first ever Monthly Round-up in April 30th, 2019, I jokingly announced a Monthly Round-Up assistant at the end of the post. That was an eight-week-old little German Shepherd puppy named Sully. Well, today is a very special day, because that puppy of mine turns 2! I cannot believe how time flies. It seemed like he was just a baby yesterday. Here’s a picture of the birthday boy! I’ll try and post a more festive picture on this page after his party tonight (and by party, I mean my family and I will make him a cake and get him some new toys). In the mean time, here’s Sully in the snow!

Update: Below is a pic from his birthday festivities…

Now, this past full year has obviously not been great, but there’s also been some lovely days amidst the glum. What was your favorite thing that happened to you or everyone this year?