This entire effort started as a result of the pandemic. We had a glimmer of hope that COVID was winding down and we would be able to offer in person happenings, but with the positivity rate now soaring we cannot comfortably gather so we will have to remain online.
Our team is largely made up of medical professionals who have been dealing with COVID and its impact on our patients and lives for almost 2 years now. We're vaccinated and boosted and taking all the precautions and still, we are vulnerable. Life continues to happen amidst Coronavirus but it has become more challenging. You must feel that also.
We welcome 2022 with a mask and a face shield - only our eyes meekly peering forward with dark, sad bags hanging below our lashes. There are moments of joy and there will continue to be. Hope is the battery that keeps us moving forward but it too is limited by this virus.
My wish (like many of others) was that life would go back to pre-pandemic life, a time when waitstaff can safely go to work free of worry that a customer might attack when asked about vaccination status. A world where our kids aren't masked in school, not learning behind plexiglass and awkward school dances can still be held. My wish is not coming true quickly.
2021 was a great year for BOSOMii though. We had some successful fundraising, we made some awesome connections in the USA and the rest of the world, we became a recognized nonprofit, the Boobs and Booze podcast was born. We even managed to get a few good nights sleep. We are looking forward to what this year has in store for us as well and we'd love for you to come along for the ride.
I would like to apologize, on behalf of this team, that our attention has not been as focused on our breast health initiative as it has previously been. We have been pretty quiet since November and we are planning to remedy that. We are caregivers and our energies have been directed toward our families, friends, coworkers and patients; sometimes we even pause to take care of ourselves. BOSOMii has taken a backseat to those who are physically present with us and while that is regrettable, we hope you understand.
There is a meditative practice/prayer that I consistently return to for healing. Recently, I am returning to it more regularly. Ho'Oponopono was also one of the practices I studied for my master's degree culmination and I believe that it does help, so I will share it with you. It is simple and also profound - which is why it is so lovely. Years ago when I first met my husband, while I was finishing my graduate studies we recorded a version of this mantra. It is embedded here if you wish to incorporate it into your personal practice.
The roots of the practice are deeply embedded in the Hawaiian Islands. There is a story about a Hawaiian therapist who cured an entire group of criminally insane patients without ever setting foot in the same room as one of them. Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len used the ancient practice of Ho'Oponopono to drastically improve patient prognosis and ultimately changed the entire climate of the center in which he worked. Many of those patients were even permitted to rejoin society.
It has four parts but they do go together and I have found that it can be applied to most aspects of daily life and every relationship no matter how big or small.
Calm your mind and contemplate:
I'm sorry.
Please forgive me.
Thank you.
I love you.
So, we humbly apologize for our virtual (and physical) absence as well as the plethora of other shortcomings. We ask for your forgiveness and thank you for your patience with us. We love you.
For 2022, I wish you repentance, forgiveness, gratitude, love and wellness!
Be Safe,
Sara