The New Normal

It’s August now. Which means back to — back to school, back to work, and back to life. Well, kind of.

We are going back, but to what exactly? We all have a “new normal” we are going back to. It is so interesting to see everyone, including myself, change to these new routines. We all have a new normal, essentially, and now we are all adjusting to all the changes.

To be honest, I am still a little sad about the new normal that we have. I miss being able to hug my friends and go inside restaurants without a mask. Though it is very hard not to be able to live my life as normal. I understand the importance of our new normal. That being said, there are many things that I have had to incorporate into my life as I get “back” to the “new normal.”

College — it’s one of the most important times for you to discover yourself. I am very excited to begin this new chapter in my life, but at the same time I am hesitant to throw myself into the experience. Everything is now so up in the air. No one really knows what is going to happen.

It’s the first time a college year will start under the “new normal,” and I am clueless about how it’s really going to work. It is scary, but I don’t want to miss out on starting the next part of my life.

So I will follow precautions and hope for the best. Because no matter what anyone says, it important that we continue to live our lives the best we can, while being as safe as possible.

Be Humbled

Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility. ~ Saint Augustine Happy New Year! Never been one for resolutions. It always felt like I was setting myself up for disappointment by trying to find something worthy enough to make a definitive claim on this great big thing I was going to change or do differently in the coming year. Something impressive enough that I would tell everyone to ensure accountability. Romantic enough that others would be wowed and inspired to make mesmerizing resolutions as well. I would stand on this victorious mountain of ideals, shout

Be Present

How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these. – George Washington Carver The Celebration Issue! To tell you the truth, the final issue of 2020 is quite the celebration here at Bella. We made it through the year with innovation, collaboration, expansion, and a positive outlook on the horizon. We were blessed with the continuing support of advertisers and contributors who not only kept our Bella in print but allowed us to spread our mission wider and

Be Challenged

Publisher’s Letter From Your Fearless Leader “Change does not change tradition. It strengthens it. Change is a challenge and an opportunity, not a threat.” Prince Philip of England What a wild ride we have taken on the rollercoaster of life in the last few months. In August, we were getting “Back To” life. September was our “Change” issue, which rolled into October with our “Creativity” issue. We decided to get creative with our branding and we revamped our focus to #bebetterbebella, to start where we are and to find our voices. We are telling our truth. We are honoring the process by accepting where we are at and identifying what

Creating Resilience in Time of Chaos

It’s no secret that nine months of a world-wide pandemic has changed our lives in many ways. Perhaps, for the first time, we are working from home, limiting our social contact, eating out less or not at all, watching church services on TV, and canceling theater or art outings. And, in the silence, how have we personally changed? Perhaps some of us have embraced the downtime to rethink our priorities and negotiate what is really important to us. But could it be that we each have a creative gear that we have not used before? Perhaps unaware, during the past few months, have we been building more emotional strength than