'An incredible time for me': Selma Blair opens up about finding the 'gift' in isolation
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Selma Blair is opening up about the “gifts” of of self-isolation in a new interview with Miley Cyrus.
The 47-year-old actress appeared as a guest on Cyrus’s Instagram show, “Bright Minded,” a daily event created during the COVID-19 pandemic to help fans “stay lit” during dark times.
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In 2018, the “Cruel Intentions” actress was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) and underwent both stem cell transplants and chemotherapy, which rendered her immunocompromised, with several physical setbacks.
Like most people living with a chronic illness, Blair told Cyrus that periods of self-isolation for her are a regular occurrence.
“I have been pretty much in isolation for two years because of my physical issues that make it harder to get out, harder to speak, all of these things,” Blair said. “And now everyone’s on this same kind of daily trajectory I’m on.”
Blair explained how she’s learned to shift her thinking to view self-isolation, especially during particularly stressful periods such as COVID-19, into an opportunity to practice gratitude.
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“I love when people can find the real gift in it,” Blair said of self-reflection during isolation. “Other than crisis and worry ... this is an incredible time for me, ‘cause I’m home, and to have my son home and to be able to have people understand... there’s just nothing that gets me mad for long anymore, and it hasn’t for a couple years.”
When Cyrus asked for advice on how to handle and accept medical news that “can immediately feel terrifying,” Blair said the best thing for people to do is try to live in the moment as best as they can.
"There has not been one minute that I have felt sorry for myself … I just really look in the moment," she explained. “This moment is what we have, (even though) we hope for more.”
“Bbeing vulnerable … is a form of strength to me and has helped me for other people to shoulder stuff when I've been nervous,” she continued.
Blair encouraged people to use self-isolation as an opportunity to “be the best you” and to recognize that everyone is doing their best to help one another.
As for Blair’s 8-year-old son Arthur, whom she shares with former partner Jason Bleick, the star said that there have been limitations to what she can do while her son is out of school due to the pandemic.
“Unlike most other moms, I don't keep a schedule right now with my kid," she said. “This is Woodstock, enjoy it! … Kind of anything goes at this point.”
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