Reflecting on What is now, my Normal...

 As the morning sun rises, the deep sigh of relief as another day begins in our learning and the yearning we have for what used to seem as normal. 

Normal ... what is normal? Is being in lockdown for yet another day our normal. There used to be a time where the classroom chatter would be my background noise. The rushing and the babble of voices as our morning routine is suddenly interrupted by the piercing ringing of the bell. "Āe, mōrena koutou! Kia tau, kua tangi te pere, kia whakapai tātou!" would be my first sentence out after that bell. 

The hustle and bustle of students preparing themselves for the day ahead, and for their learning. The routine and the smooth running of the classroom only interrupted by latecomers. "Whaea, may I have another pen please?" - a question that used to irritate me because it was repetitive. "Āe" would be my reply "It is during S.O.D.A, Whaea", followed by a chuckle replies the student. S.O.D.A, a term I only learned at my previous school. Wow! What I would give to hear that question now. Do we truly take for granted the small interactions we have on a daily basis?

Is this my normal? It has been two days since Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern made her announcement that 'Auckland would remain in the current Level 3 Lockdown situation for a further 2 weeks!' and since then my norm has been so different to what I remember. WE can remember the tastes we miss, the people we hugged and the beautiful waiata we would hear at mihi whakatau and pōwhiri. Is this my normal?

My normal at the moment consists of lots of google meets, lots of time on my devices and luckily for me, time with my family bubble (our new norm).  My routine all has changed, and it will continue to be that as much as we are in lockdown. For the safety of my mokopuna and for my whānau, I will continue to do as much as I can to ensure we are free from harm. 

What about yours? IS this, your new normal? What do you miss?