Aloha Swan Interiors Family,
I hope this note finds you all healthy and happy.
Working from home is something that I’ve been doing for many years, so my world hasn’t been shaken up as much as the rest of the world. I am the bookkeeper for Swan Interiors, but I also have other clients that I am unable to work remotely for, so I’m required to still go into offices for essential work only. This has been an adjustment for me. Making sure I have my sanitizing wipes, hand sanitizer, mask, and all other important items to keep safe while out in public. I’ve limited my days I leave the house and the hours I’m working to the bare minimum when I need to work in public.
Growing up in Hawaii, embracing one another is part of life. The honi ihu, or the touching of noses is a traditional way of greeting each other in Hawaii. It allows both people to exchange breath, which is an important life force in Hawaiian Culture. Although there are many who still greet each other with the traditional honi ihu, many people now embrace each other with hug and a kiss on the cheek. For me when you honi ihu, or hug and kiss your aunties and uncles, or you embrace a friend you’ve not seen in a few months, you share a part of your soul with them. This for me, has always been a way of life. I’ve never known anything different. Our new normal of practicing social distancing has been the most difficult adjustment for me. I’m not sure if we will ever get back to embracing each other, but I sure do miss hugging and kissing my aunties and uncles.
What I do know is that “we are all in this together” has never been so true. I hope that through this journey of social distancing we all learn to connect with ourselves more than ever. It is important that we learn to feel our feelings of being scared, tired, alone, frustrated, confused, etc. This is the time to connect with loved ones at home, and spend quality time that we all subconsciously take for granted.
Stay safe,
Brooke von Tempsky
