Coming Together With Pandemic
Gomathi Sridevi
©
Copyright 2022 by Gomathi Sridevi
|
Photo by the author. |
The
year 2020 was filled with an unexpected guest named Covid19. Many
people's dreams, plans, and wishes crashed down with the arrival of
the Corona Virus. It's strange that how a tiny thing could do severe
damage to lives.
As
they say, a small ant can kill an elephant.
We
shouldn't be careless about this virus since it costed so many
deaths. Though the Covid19 had its disadvantages, it did have perks.
And I was one among them, who had gotten benefit out of this. My
family and I weren't affected, and as an outsider, I learned many
lessons through this lockdown.
After
my graduation in 2018, I took a break from everything. I didn't own a
phone for the last two years since I didn't want any distractions. I
was not a social animal, and my friend circles were also not much. I
was a quiet person who loved to be in her little bubble. I decided to
take some personal time off from my studies and work. I spent my time
in the home with my parents. I was happy to be with my parents
because my brothers were busy in different places. Being quarantined
was not unusual for me since I had been practicing it for the past
two years.
The
sudden lockdown came as a shock to many of my family members. The
first month of lockdown was something emotional to many of us. We
received calls and made calls to our close ones to make sure they
were safe. And the receiving of calls gradually decreased when the
lockdown time increased.
Few
things changed in my everyday activities because of this quarantine.
I always wondered about people who wear masks every day to works and
offices. Where in most countries, people wear masks to prevent air
pollution. But never in my life did I expect that I would wear one.
And to my surprise, I started to wear masks to protect myself from
the pollution and the virus. I found it difficult to get used to it
since it was hard for me to breathe at first. But by wearing it
often, it became a habit to leave the house with a mask on my face. I
must admit that wearing a mask was good for our health too. Virus or
not, it kept us away from pollution, and I developed a habit of
wearing it.
During
the starting of the quarantine, a new habit of mine became following
the news. I never cared about current affairs, and I rarely followed
news channels. But I found myself reading and watching television to
know more about the current status of the world. I started to read
articles about the spread of the virus and its causes. I developed a
habit of watching the news along with my parents. It became a habit
of mine to check the number of people and countries affected before
bed.
During
the lockdown, I noticed some changes in my mother's health condition.
She never gave me housework since I was preparing for job interviews.
But I regret the moment I observed her body. She was getting weak
because of loads of work in the house. To make her workload minimum,
I took up the kitchen area. I watched youtube videos and learned to
cook. Since cooking and I didn't have good chemistry, I mostly ended
up with burnt food items. Though many dishes ended up in failure, I
was happy that I helped my mother and gave her some time off from the
kitchen. With time, I learned to cook with the help of the internet
and my mother's guidance. I tried many recipes and ate together with
my family while sharing sweet conversations.
I
was a messy person who loved to keep things anywhere. I rarely paid
much attention to my surroundings since I got busy with exams. But I
spared some time to clean my room and also my house every day. I was
never the type of person who wakes up late. But this quarantine made
me lazy, and I ended up waking up half-past eight in the morning.
This new habit led me to get several scoldings from my parents, who
had a hard time kicking me out of my bed.
To
get out of this habit, I started working out since it kept me fit and
active. But after getting tired of intense workouts, I decided not to
lose any more weight. I felt like it became my obsession, which
almost made me have eating disorders.
I
decided to improve my flexibility instead of shedding weight. In this
quarantine, I started to learn Pilates from home. I felt good about
my body since I was not forcing and torturing it. I was happy with
myself and the little changes in my habits. I took time to appreciate
myself and learn new things during this phase.
In
this lockdown, I became more cautious about food. I always had a
habit of having leftovers after my lunch or dinner. But with
quarantine, the area where we lived had minimum supplies of food
items. We couldn't buy everything in one go. I learned not to waste
any food after eating. I realized the difference between my needs and
wants. Since there was a financial crisis running in my house, I
bought the necessary things instead of the things I wanted.
Was
I the only one being happy with this lockdown?
Whenever
I looked at my neighbors, they were in a panic about the sudden
spread of the virus. But I was there smiling while seeing my brothers
living with us. It might sound crazy, but as my brothers and I grew
up, we rarely had time to spend with each other. It's been quite a
few years since their visit to our house because of their work and
busy schedules. Seeing them, speaking with them, and eating with them
brings back nostalgia.
The
year 2020 was the year where I was about to lose hope in my life.
Being unemployed for almost two years, I felt like a complete and
utter failure. I was oblivious about the future and wondered whether
I had one. I felt my life was going nowhere and was afraid to let
down my parents. I was the girl who was unsure about her doings and
questioned my existence.
During
this quarantine period, I met with several failures and
disappointments. I had been going under lots of pressure and stress.
The exams, the interview for the new jobs, and the applications for
higher studies got rejected. I didn't know how to or what to feel. I
fail in something which I don't like. I felt like I had lost myself
somewhere and have been going behind something I don't like. I
decided to take time for myself and realize what I need in my life.
I
started to focus on enjoying the present than worrying about the
future. Writing and working out had always been my escape from
everything. I created an account and started to write blogs and short
stories online by publishing them. And I was thankful that I followed
my passion through ups and downs.
After
going through this pandemic situation, I learned the most valuable
thing in my life.
Living
a happy life is what matters at the end of the day.
Now
that I think about it, I was thankful and happy that I was alive and
healthy. Being unemployed or employed doesn't matter when it comes to
the current situation around the world. Rich or poor, everyone was
affected since the virus wasn't aware of such things. The money did
no good by saving people from the virus spread. The money, the
status, and the properties had no value when compared to human
lives.
I
was thankful for one thing that I had during this miserable phase.
My
family.
Though
I never shared my failures with them, I was happy to be with them.
The small talks with them motivated me and encouraged me to fight
furthermore.
I
know this pandemic will not last long, and I don't want to miss this
perfect opportunity to be with my family. Either the work or the
cellphones distanced us though we were near. I don't know what the
future holds on for us, but now I don't want to think about it.
Nothing can stop us now from being with our family.
Many
people were frustrated about the lockdown. But I always love to go
through the motto,
"Seeing
the best through the worst."
One
shouldn't get discouraged and disappointed with the current situation
around the world. We were focusing on the worst scenarios by letting
our hearts give up the ray of hope. But one should try to see what we
have gained from this quarantine.
This
pandemic has done one good thing, bringing the family members
together. Let's not worry or feel depressed about this lockdown but
find happiness in being with family. It's about how we look at the
current situation.
Diseases
and disasters will occur in the future as long as human lives. It's
in our hands how we overcome the situation. It's our choice to let
our hearts sink into depression or enjoy the present and appreciate
the time.
After
all, we never know when we will be together again.
Gomathi
Sridevi, a budding writer from India. I am a Sociology graduate who
is about to pursue Masters in journalism. I would describe
myself best as a student who is quite interested in applying my
learnings on Sociology for the benefit of the society.
My
passion for writing can be attributed to my childhood habit of
reading newspaper everyday. I took up interest on society and loved
to pen down my thoughts through articles and essays. I
made efforts by contributing my ideas on societal matters through
articles on several magazines to provide deep insights on the harsh
reality of the society.
(Unless
you
type
the
author's name
in
the subject
line
of the message
we
won't know where to send it.)
Another story by Gomathi
Book
Case
Home
Page
The
Preservation Foundation, Inc., A Nonprofit Book Publisher