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Hello everyone! It’s Wednesday, just before our significant holiday break. Christmas is approaching – exciting times indeed! I hope you don’t mind a more personal touch in today’s video. Lately, I’ve been grappling with feelings of dysphoria – this sense of being stuck. It’s a deep-seated part of my psyche, and acknowledging it is crucial for me.

In sharing this, I want to highlight that pain and suffering are universal human experiences. Often, we perceive these feelings as intensely private. For instance, when I express that I’m sad, suffering, or feeling down, words somehow seem insufficient. It’s challenging to convey the depth of human suffering through language alone. Think about it: when doctors ask us to rate our pain on a scale of 1 to 10, they’re attempting to quantify something inherently subjective. As an educator, especially in the humanities, I believe it’s essential to deeply understand and contemplate suffering. My role isn’t just to impart knowledge; it involves exploring the complex representation of suffering in art, and sharing it in a way that resonates and provides catharsis – a concept the Greeks profoundly understood as the purging of emotions. In a sense, this video is my way of seeking a purgation of emotions. We’re almost at the break, everyone. Hang in there, and thank you for listening. Take care. Bye!

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Would you believe me if I told you I'm still in New York City but surrounded by marshland, wet bugs, bees, and butterflies born from under the weeds of the milkweed plant? I am. If you want your way down a nature trail (near 72nd Avenue in Queens and Regent’s Park), you'll find a pedestrian bridge that crosses the Van Wyck Expressway. I expected to see a bloated corpse — left by a serial killer — the area does have a veil of secrecy and hiddenness. But maybe it's because I trekked the trail near evening fall — just a hint of daylight in the sky. Now — I need to find a way out of this bog. ⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #adventure #bigdreams #nature #hiking #hustle #instagood #love #72ndavenue #regentspark #nationalparks #naturelover #naturelovers #newyork #newyorkcity #ny #nyc #outdoors #park #parks #photography #photooftheday #queen #queens #sky #travel #tree #usa #womenempoweringwomen #womeninspiringwomen #womenpower via stonesoferasmus.com (at Queens, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRNMx27FCLZ/?utm_medium=tumblr

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As per my last email (don't you hate it when you receive a message that begins that way) — or, shall say, post — I've learned some new tips. First — there is beauty in small details. But my iPhone finds it challenging to capture the subtle beauty, so you'll have to contend with the bigger picture. I read a quote today that I like — about achievement — "Before the gates of excellence, the high gods have placed sweat.” I'm attempting to complete a monumental task this week, and I feel overwhelmed. I want to expand the teaching resources I created under my @stonesoferasmus brand — I have to go and proofread my inventory of 137 digital downloads I've created. I like the “making part” of the process — using design skills and creating incredible resources that middle and high school students can use. It's just very time-consuming. So to inspire me, I take long walks — hence the photos you see — and eat healthy — and stretch. Also — I got a bigger monitor for my computer. OMG. Having a large screen to work on makes a huge difference when creating digital stuff. OMG. My goal is to have 200 products reviewed and created by the end of Summer. And on top of that I'm taking a class on Special Education and Differentiation at Hunter College. The course is good — it solidifies some things I already knew about teaching and has already given me good ideas to move forward. Next year I'm teaching a section of Eighth Grade English, a World Religions class, a New York City history class — paired with Tenth and Eleventh graders in a combined section. Whew. I better get to planning. But. Oh. I see a bird in a tree. Ohh. Let me check this out. *Loses thirty minutes*. By the way, @kfs0520, is the last picture in this post an excellent example of Nantucket Red? Inquiring minds want to know. ⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #blog #bloggerqueen #bloggertips #blogpost #blogtips #brighteyedblogger ##eclectichomeschool #freelance #iteachtoo #playislearningplayisenough #middleschool #highschool #quickeasyplay #sidehustle #tpt #speechies #teachergram #teachersconnect #teachersfollowteachers #teachersinsummer #teacherslife #blogger #wherelearningmeetsplay #workfromhome #teachersonsummerbreak🙌 (at Jackson Heights) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRKLYA9lo06/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Martin Heidegger has this idea he calls everydayness. It’s a complex idea to explain, but somehow it has been on my mind. Everydayness is a condition of being in the world — with its routines, habits, conventions, etc. Let’s call them societal norms. And let’s further say societal norms were constructed to form a modicum of order and stability in living with others. Please don’t take my fish sticks, or I’ll murder you and all your kin. E don’t want that happening. So everydayness has its merits. But, then, it’s a tricky business when those same societal norms constructed to protect and carve out stability can also have the light effect of destroying freedom of self. Everydayness is being in a world where one is so caught up in the mundane busyness of living that one forgets how to live. For me — I feel a break from everydayness when I travel. When I’m not plugged into the typical 9 to 5 life. But something is terrifying about breaking away from everydayness. Because to break away from everydayness is to be authentic. And authenticity is most terrifying for one when one doesn’t know how to live outside the habits and conventions laid out for one. To wake up with nothing on one’s schedule, no one calling, no emails to answer, nothing demanding conformity — what’s left is the empty well of the self where authenticity is carved out. So I stick out my tongue. Get caught in the rain. Sit by the river. And feel the ache. The terror of being alive. Because life is so damn limited. A quick breath of air. Poof. You’re gone. What am I to do? And no — the answer is not in any advice or life coach’s guidance. I don’t know the answer. But at least let’s try. ⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #ancientphilosophy #aristotle #art #carlgustavjung #existencialismo #filosofia #heidegger #inspiration #instagood #life #love #motivation #nature #nietzsche #photography #photooftheday #quotes #sartre #schopenhauer #solarcollective #terapia #thinking #happy #thinkingpositive #positivevibes #everydayness #think #thinkingarchitecture #thinkingminds #positivethinking via stonesoferasmus.com (at Catskill, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRAQeMZF9P6/?utm_medium=tumblr

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I’m in Chicago for a brief stopover (to visit @artinstitutechi to see my favorite painting, Georges Seurat’s “Sunday on La Grande Jatte”). I’ve been traveling this month — seeing America on the backend of a global virus outbreak that shook the economy, health, and morale of people. 3.97 million people have died worldwide. On the street, people don’t wear masks, and restaurants and shops have signs that read “If you’re fully vaxxed — no mask,” and a woman on my train a couple of mornings ago wore a tee that reads “Vaccinated AF.” In museums and on buses and trains and in the post office — people don their masks. But I had breakfast this morning — and maybe 5 out of 100 people wore face coverings. And lo did I behold a ginormous pump bucket of hand sanitizer. People seem ready to move and socialize. Bars and clubs have swung open their doors. Streets are closed off for pedestrian use only. Summer is in the air. A young man seated next to me on the train from Seattle tells me it’s the first time he’s left his Lincoln Park neighborhood since February of last year. But the guy is moving out big — bought himself an @amtrak USA rail pass. That ticket gets you ten legs of a 30-day journey for like four hundred bucks. Coach class, only. He grins. And shows me his itinerary. It feels good to share train travel camaraderie. And I start to dream of journeys I have yet to take. Is the Ethan Allen Express to Vermont open? When will the train travel to Canada? I’m also worried about @britneyspears, and I hope she and her lawyers can roll back the strictures placed on her by her conservatorship. Leave Britney alone! Bonus points — name as many Chicago locations as you can find in my post. Go! The winner receives a free digital download about Mythology from @stonesoferasmus .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #art #artinstitutechicago #artinstitutechicagodawg #artinstitutechicagogogals #artinstitutechicagomagnet #artinstituteofchicago #chicago #chicagogram #instagood #instatravel #loop #love #redline @chicagocta #photography #photooftheday #portraitphoto #summer2021 #travel #traveladdict #travelblog #travelblogger #traveling #travelling #traveltheworld via stonesoferasmus.com (at Chicago, Illinois) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ3xHoflYBp/?utm_medium=tumblr

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The theme of my post is weariness. I hiked, and I walked, and I explored random parts of Seattle. Do you see the face of Greig? He’s bone-weary. I’m not used to such locomotion. But I feel like the photographs capture the mood of the day — sultry, hot, relentless. A boy on the bus this morning played a Scheter electric guitar. And then told me a rational argument for gun ownership (although privately, I think to myself I’d never owned a firearm). Seattle is beautiful. I shop for groceries in the Safeway in Monroe. I miss my bus to Gold Bar — and thus miss my subsequent connection to Skykomish. It’s 10 p.m., and I’m stuck on a hot evening somewhere near Highway 2. In front of the Safeway, a gentleman has a long conversation with another guy — he looks like a professional hiker. I ask them for a ride to Skykomish. I’m lucky because one of the men lives in Sultan. And I’m given a ride back to my motel in the mountains. At night the stars beam, and I feel restless. I consider the prospect of living in a rural area like the mountains of Washington State — “Fun to visit. But I prefer New York.” I gather my things in the motel room — today, I board the train again. Where do you think I’m going next? ⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #art #beautiful #explore #fashion #instagood #love #nature #naturephotography #pacificnorthwest #photo #photography #photooftheday #pnw #pnwlife #pnwonderland #seattle #seattlefoodie #seattlehot #seattlelife #seattlephotographer #seattlepulse #seattlewa #seattlewashington #travel #upperleftusa #heatwave #washington via stonesoferasmus (at Seattle, Washington) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQtd0e9lMVG/?utm_medium=tumblr

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I found a rock to sit on to do some writing. When you arrive in Skykomish, Washington — you're in the middle of the Cascades Mountains. Because a railroad tycoon by the name of Stevens, built a railroad from Spokane to the Puget Sound — the place is smack dab in the middle of train history U.S.A. By the 1890s, the United States had had already built a few transcontinental railroads — thanks to the unsung contribution of cheap Chinese labor — which the government tried to put a stop to with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Even though Washington D.C. put a smackdown on immigration from Asia, the economy begged to open more portals to the West. A direct train route to Puget Sound. Open more trans-Pacific trade. But a train through the Cascades would prove to be a more difficult challenge. The mountains are a formidable presence — up to about 4,000 feet above sea level, which for a Louisiana boy, is a lot. I'm breathing air at high altitudes, refilling my bottle with water from the Foss River. Loving being outdoors — but dang, it's uncharacteristically hot today — the high is 90 ° F. Even the people who live here say that’s hot. Sitting by the river — I don't jump in, but I feel the coolness of the rock, and the water is ice cold to the touch. What’s your favorite picture that I took? ⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #holiday #explore #motel #cascades #love #skykomish #vacation #travelphotography #bytheroad #highway2 #travelgram #photooftheday #vacationrental #homeaway #pnw #photography #washington #fossriver #summer #travel #alpinelakeswilderness #beautiful #hiking #instatravel #airbnb #adventure #home #architecture #mountains #nature (at Foss River) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQmkq6iFij2/?utm_medium=tumblr

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All who wander are not lost. If you know me you probably know I like to travel by train. It's been a bucket 🪣 list of mine to traverse the United States on every @amtrak route in the United States. So far, I've relegated train travel to the South and North East regions. But, hey. Now that the country is opening up a bit more after a year or more of Covid-19 restrictions, I'm venturing West — along with the Capitol Limited, to Chicago — and stay tuned; later this week, I'm boarding the scenic Empire Builder train. Yay. And of course, I've already met some fabulous folk. Lonnie is traveling from West Virginia after spending time “with his woman, ” and Burke is a college student studying Chemistry. And it appears, this morning, I've just run into a gaggle of giggling Mennonite women just outside of Toledo, Ohio. What should I do for my four-hour layover in Chicago? See y'all real soon, boo. Sprinkles! ⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #ohio #daily #newyork #photography #pocket #rail #railfan #railfanning #railfans #railroadphotography #train #trains #trainspotting #traintravel #travel #amtrakviews #railways #capitollimited #capitollimited30 #amtrakvacations #instagood #capitollimitedviews #trainstation #amtrakcrash #amtrakresidency (at USA) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQdb69JlO6R/?utm_medium=tumblr

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It’s Memorial Day, y’all. Do you think of history when you think of Long Island? Did you know that Teddy Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States, was a New Yorker — and he had a Summer home in Long Island? It’s a beautiful area. And you can climb up a hill and see where he’s buried (and get a nice view of Long Island Sound). And we hung out in a nature preserve. OMG. I felt like a kid. Going down random trails. Even though it was rainy, it was glorious. And I cooked a whole chicken and watched Dangerous Liaisons on HBO Max — the one with Glenn Close and John Malkovich as conniving ex-lovers in nineteenth-century France. It was a fun diversion. .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #memorialdayweekend #theodoreroosevelt #oysterbay #glenhead #glencove #locustvalley #naturehikes #honoringourheroes🇺🇸❤️💙 via stonesoferasmus.com @stonesoferasmus @theodorerooseveltsanctuary (at Oyster Bay, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPjRkccFm8r/?utm_medium=tumblr

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It was a perfect day to celebrate @elledeewhy for the soon-to-be arrival of her baby 👶. Congratulations, miha. I took the opportunity to capture people. And have fun. We were all in a joyful mood — playing games, eating tangy portions of sausages, and one-stop-shop servings of egg omelets. And there were bottomless pitchers of bellinis and mimosas for the adults. The theme was “Sunday Brunch,” — and @epiclifeilive hosted a fabulous gathering. Ask @ks2992 for the video of me doing the “baby cramp” challenge .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #handmade #babyfashion #birthday #fashion #love #momlife #babyboy #photooftheday #nyc #instagood #babyshowerdecorations #cutebaby #newborn #beautiful #babylove #newyork #queensnyc #babyshowerideas #baby #cute #manhattan #babyshowerdecor #kids #babygirl #photography #babies #babyshowergifts #party #babyshowergift #family via stonesoferasmus.com (at Jackson Heights) https://www.instagram.com/p/CO81D96lUOa/?igshid=1ury5esprqhlx

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Wednesday is named for Woden — the Norse parallel for the Greek and Roman messenger god Hermes. I’m obsessed with messages, epistolary novels, and journeys and undertakings. I never 👎 skip by a note or love letter. And I love to eat tears and swallow joy. My friends say I’m constantly flexing. My students want the school year to end. I’m listening to lots of books on tape and cooking lots of sausage and egg salad. I’m proud of my student @jukycheng, who got accepted into a Summer engineering program at NYU Tandon in Brooklyn. Congrats, Juky! And I’m also excited for the Summer—those dog days. But I’m into May. With its warm afternoons and occasional showers. How are you holding up? Need a hug? Here’s one. Need a nudge? Here’s one? Need a ride on a white swan? I don’t have that, but drop me a DM if you want to chat about YA novels and the best place to walk in New York City. ⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #queensnewyorkcitylove #queensnewyorkny #newyorkcity🗽🇺🇸👯 #queensnewyork2014 #queensnewyorkjiujitsu #newyorkcity🗽🇺🇸❤️🏳️‍🌈🍎🌞 #newyorkcity🗽🇺🇸🎄🎅 #newyorkcity🗽🇺🇸❣️ #newyorkcity🗽🇺🇸🚈🚕🗽🍎this #queensnewyork⭐️ #queensnewyorkpartydj #queensnewyorkmakeupartist #newyorkcity🗽🇺🇸♥️ #queensnewyorknailartist #newyorkcity🗽🇺🇸shopping #newyorkcity🗽🇺🇸🥑🍠 #newyorkcity🗽🇺🇸blessed #newyorkcity🗽🇺🇸👍 #newyorkcity🗽🇺🇸❤️ #newyorkcity🗽🇺🇸🏙 #newyorkcity🗽🇺🇸❤️😍🔝 #queensnewyorkhairstylist #queensnewyorkmotherfucker #queensnewyorkbaby #queensnewyorkart #queensnewyorker #newyorkcity🗽🇺🇸🌇🌍 #newyorkcity🗽🇺🇸🚕 #queensnewyorkgirl #newyorkcity🗽🇺🇸🍎 via stonesoferasmus.com (at Jackson Heights) https://www.instagram.com/p/COyz-CUlGi0/?igshid=drt22tuicmjx

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I’ve lived in New York City for a decade, and one thing I still love to do is take random walks. It’s all about those 10,000 steps. Today — I listened to that song “Walk” (the clean version). With Seniors. Lol. That happened. And there was a mini-lesson about walking the walk and talking the talk. After work — I walked some more. I have lofty goals, but I’m taking a break in front of @juquilarestaurant, waiting for an order of Chilaquiles. It’s like a reward. Tell me in the comments what’s your city and what’s your favorite random activity. ⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #travel #art #walkingpath #instagood #nyc #ig #newyorker #newyorkcitylife #photooftheday #photography #usa #photo #ny #walkinginnature #love #walkingday #walk #manhattan #nature #walkingintherain #naturephotography #walkingtime #newyork #walkingthedog #hiking #walkingaround #landscape #walkingalone via stonesoferasmus.com (at Queens, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/COTrn0ala7D/?igshid=1xxp4s4hvk8dg

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I find sadness to be a salve. Joy a miracle. Peace, I say to you. Even in your messiness. In your disarray. In the specks of broccoli 🥦 strewn on the kitchen table — we all come into the world a mess. Who among us is whole? No one — I tell you. Today — on the way to work, I found an empty grandpa-looking suitcase. I disinfected it with Lysol — and then I’m going to build out an exhibit. Going to put books inside to promote the Summer Reading campaign @gardenschoolnyc we’re launching for 2021. #lifeskills #love #begood #takecareofyourself #reading via stonesoferasmus.com (at Queens, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/COLVmWolPCY/?igshid=1jwvaj62lj5x4

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On a crisp, dry, and relaxed evening in Queens. I'm still discovering new pathways. I need and desire discovery. So much of what we do is programmatic. It's the unexpected that brings joy — that liminal space between day and night, work and leisure, sleeping and waking. By the way — the bicyclist came into the frame just at the right moment. Don't you think? And can you find my self-portrait? Bonus points if you know where in Queens these photos were taken. .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #nighttimeadventures #nighttimereading #nighttimemeditation #love #nyc #travel #city #ig #nighttimeistherighttime #nighttimeskincareroutine #newyork #instagood #nighttimephotography #night #photography #nature #queensnewyork #art #queensnyc #beauty #happy #queensny #photooftheday #nighttimefeeding #beautiful #nighttimeroutine via stonesoferasmus.com (at Queens, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CNz4q-Flwqt/?igshid=b45kkkdr734o

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Two people told me today, “You are always so positive.” The first was a colleague — and they always encourage me to be myself. The second was a student — she came to me after class and was like, “Thank you for always being positive.” And I was like, “Well. I can embrace my sadness. But it's important not get distracted by the negative.” Like. I mean — I'm not oblivious to the Rainbow of emotions. But I like to infuse joy, especially with adolescents. It is the way I connect, and it's the glue to keep a classroom together. That and reading, writing, and arithmetic. It’s been a stressful year — Covid-19. A disrupted school year. And a tragic time. George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Say their names. And Asian Hate 😡. One of my kids said this week, “I don't like coming to school. I like school. It's just getting there. Should I bring mace?” I told him — “Your feelings are valid.” And we talked about strategies to signal for help if a hater ever comes at you. Pretend to talk on the phone. Don't travel alone or on a lonely street. All this hate takes it's toll. It's toxic. What are you doing to help folks feel safe? What should we be doing? Am I right to spread positivity? Even when I'm sad, or I feel broken, or I feel like I can't find the energy to teach or to do whatever. I got this. Love you all! ⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #covidstories #highschoolenglishteacher #stopasianhateのヴィジュアルを掲出しています #stopasianhate活動#stopviolence# #stopblackhate #stopasianhatenyc 😥😔💔😞😩 #positivevibes #love #stopasianhate❤️😔 #stopasianhate能看到 ✊🏽✊🏼✊🏾✊ #stopasianhate❤️ #stopasianhate❌ #stopasianhatecanada #motivation via stonesoferasmus.com (at Jackson Heights) https://www.instagram.com/p/CNd3xlYFqwU/?igshid=1jzuphc2enuoj

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What’s the best feature of the photograph? Portraits! Photos capture faces. And I’ve been appreciating faces lately — especially during this recent Spring Break-cum-Easter time and so on. As vaccinations against Covid-19 are more widely distributed, people are congregating with each other to celebrate. While mask-wearing and general social distancing guidelines are still in place, being vaccinated means I can hang out with folks I haven’t been with since March of last year. I saw my friend Michelle and her family and I made jambalaya for a group of teacher-friends. By the way — the jambalaya was lit 🔥. . . . . #jambalaya #vaccinated #modernapod #friends #dinner #springbreak #newyorkcity #people #portraits #easter #holyweek #kids #outside Via stonesoferasmus.com https://www.instagram.com/p/CNGRRgrF4yQ/?igshid=1m7jepd6kkxxc

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Today is March 12th in the Year of Our Lord Twenty Twenty-One. Last year today, I was in a faculty meeting. “We’re not closing school,” they said. By Sunday, we were in lockdown. And the rest is history. I feel like I’m living through a historic moment like folks who lived through the Great Depression and hoarse pennies in their mattresses. Future generations will ask, “What was the Twenty Twentys like?” My friend Amira’s child, who is now ten months old, will want to know what he did during the quarantine. “Mostly eat and sleep,” Mom will say. “But it was a long time before you saw real people besides the doctors who birthed you and us.” And Sam will say, “OK. I survived a global pandemic.” I recognize I’m privileged because I’m vaccinated and generally healthy (although I need to lay off the potato chips and ranch dressing). The pandemic has disproportionately hit the most vulnerable of society. I realize I’m in-person with students — so there’s always a risk I can be infected. But think about folks who work essential jobs and live in small apartments where everyone is working, coming into contact with many people. I can slink away to the haven of a more-or-less safe space in my apartment. I think this global crisis has revealed just how fragile the ties that bind are. I’m grateful for today. I mourn those lost to Covid-19, and I’m hopeful for the future. How was your Covid-19 lockdown anniversary — and how are you coping. Let me know in the comments. ⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #covidkindnesswes #covi̇dkindness #covıdkindness #covidkindnesseverydaychallenge #covidkindnessstories #covidkindnessplease #covidkindness🙏 #staysafe #covidkindness🙏🏽 #stayhome #covidkindness💙💛 #covidkindnessneeded #covidkindness❣️ #covidkindnesss #covidkindness🤟🏻🙏🏻❤️ #covidkindness1 #quarantine #covid #covid19 #covidkindnesses #socialdistancing #covidkindnesscookieproject #covidkindnessnailcollab #covidkindness❤️❤️ #love #covidkindnessau #covidkindnesswmbg #covidkindnessuhp #coronavirus #covidkindnessca via stonesoferasmus.com (at New York, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CMVkyTFF9LW/?igshid=siq9kugeggbj