Teresita Rosita (in her most recent iteration) started her life in lockdown. It was a not-so-happy coincidence, but it turned out to be a godsend in many ways. Teresita Rosita, her panda hat and her little moments of life helped her creator get through those first few months of fear, doom-scrolling and the general low hum of anxiety that permeated the world.

She was able, with the slight upturning of her mouth, her wide-eyed wonderment, or with just her ability to stop and smell the freshly mown grass on her daily walk, to make that time of upheaval and uncertainty just that little bit more joyful.

She was there for her creator every single day. For 365 days. And, even though it was never the intention, it turned out she helped a bunch of other people out too. Just by her turning up every day, sometimes with a smile, sometimes with a huge grin, sometimes with tears, sometimes with nothing but all but her panda hat, she was able to reach out through the Interwebs and create a bit of joy in the world.

And life went on. And she went on. Freedoms reappeared. Life resumed it’s old ways - more-or-less. Teresita Rosita went even further out in the world. She may have even got just a tad too big for her boots with her ambitions, but who’s judging... Life was cranking along again with interstate visits, hugs, kisses, the sharing of meals and water bottles.

And then, just as everyone was really getting back into the swing of things, BAM!

Lockdown 2.0.

Back into isolation. Back into not-so-solitary confinement with her two favourite creatures. Back to Zoom drinks and long-distance phone calls. Back to the same pathways walked day in, day out. Back to occasional fancy takeout and cocktails delivered in tiny glass bottles.

But, while many things were the same as that first lockdown, this one has (yes, it’s still going at time of writing) some key differences. There’s no fear this time. We know what we’ve signed up for this time around. We’ve been here before. Same virus, different strain. Just sit back, relax, do the right thing and get to the other end of the tunnel. Though, of course, there’s still the daily doom-scroll to make sure the numbers are still creeping up, the ring of red dots on the map still encroaching ever neared to home. That’s most important when keeping one’s anxiety levels at a healthy buzz.

This time though there’s malaise. There’s boredom. There’s tedium. There’s waiting and waiting and waiting. There’s trying to keep life under control and on track and just getting to the end of the very long distance race we unwittingly found ourselves part of.

Teresita Rosita for all her optimism, for all her glass half full vim and vigour, is just trying to slog this one out. Little things like yoga (lots and lots of yoga), kindness meditation, a weekly bath, saying I love you to Dr Chicken as much as she possibly can. These things help. But it’s a hard ask to stop the days melding into one long series of sunrises and sunsets with a whole lot of same same sandwiched in-between.

It’s hard to get motivated to leave her (relative) comfort zone and keep on being enthusiastic for the things she can still do - walk by the river, go to the shops, talk on the phone. She and Dr Chicken are trying their darnedest and doing new things like Isolation Trivia, Paint your own Canvas, DIY booze production, a new weekly cake experiment. These things certainly help break up the monotony. They do.

Teresita Rosita in Space Acrylic Painting

It’s just…

It’s just….

It’s just that even with the impish grin of Teresita Rosita. Even with the cuddles of Grace Jones the Cat. Even with the antics of Dr Chicken. Even with the comfort of their home, the deliciousness of the food they cook, the smell of the many scented candles about the place. Even with all that, the god-to-honest truth of it all, is that lockdown sucks. Covid sucks. This new reality of lockdowns and restrictions and transmissions and deaths, it sucks.

And so, with all that said, there’s only one thing to do. Teresita Rosita is going to keep on keeping on (like she always does). She’s going to keep trying to find the joy in life - in furry cat bellies, in new seeds sprouting, in flowers blooming, in new streets strolled down, in seeing friendly faces (even if they’re only on a screen).