The recurring lockdowns have taken a toll on the physical and emotional health of many of us! But there are a few good things that we can learn from the social- distancing and other restrictions imposed.
We learn to do our housework on our own! No matter, how big/small, how rich/poor these lockdowns have taught us to be self-reliant and get all the family members to work towards keeping the house clean, cooking, washing dishes. (Unfortunately, this is a big problem in households with ailing and old people!)
Though many people have been hoarding and storing up things for months, we can actually wonder how much is actually needed!
With very few to no options of eating out, most of us are probably eating more healthy, homely food, not to mention the experiments and willingness to cook by people who had never stepped in a kitchen before!
Electronic gadgets have become more important than ever during these times of lockdown. Be it, face time with family and friends or work and study, these gadgets have become an inevitable part of our lives! Looking for recipes, craft ideas, movies, information, news and so on and so forth! It may not be such a bad thing to have these gadgets as many of us are worried about the increased screen time. We can now consciously move around and rest our eyes, take frequent breaks and then get on with our work.
Children learning to use these gadgets so early on can be overwhelming for both the parents and the children. They can be taught some security measures and the ill- effects of excessive screen time so they can take care. While at the same time, spending time learning new things. (Of course, smaller kids will not understand much, but we can always try!)
Due to travel restrictions and other limitations, it is said that many people miss out on celebration with dear and near ones! But we can at least make use of technology and have a virtual get-together in various such occasions.
Being constantly in the company of family members is not so bad. We can look for new hobbies and activities that can be done together, share some old pictures to re-live the days of the past. At times we all need breaks from our family members, we can respect this aspect and give each other space and time (within the four walls of the house!) willingly.
This lockdown has given us enough time to think and review our life. What is it that we actually want in life, what have we achieved till now and are we happy about it or what more should we do to be happy? Some people may move towards starting some new ventures, learn new skills while some may move towards spirituality. ( Of course, this is for the fortunate few of us who have been able to have a steady income and stayed in good health!)
So, come what may, we need to see the positive side of things, learn to adapt to new situations and find our own happiness!
Picture Credits – Pexels
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Earlier my husband would say, 'Arey! What is there in making dal-roti? It's so simple.' After he had to cook everyday when I was ill, he has stopped saying that to me!
“Arey! What is there to do in making dal roti? Put a handful of lentils in the cooker and let it whistle and make two rotis. After all, how long will it take?” A handful of dal (lentils) and two rotis! This is the story of every woman and no one seems to understand.
Some time ago, after a shopping spree, my husband and I entered the house, exhausted. I had just about kept all the bags aside, when my husband said, “I am very hungry, can you make something.”
I looked at my husband in amazement and thought, ‘He had just had food, how did he get hungry again so soon?’
My husband, as if he had read my face, said, “Arey! You know that my stomach is not filled with outside food. Just make dal roti. What is there to do in making dal roti? Put a handful of lentils in the cooker and let it whistle and make two rotis. After all, how long will it take?”
‘Is this the way dal (lentils) and roti are made?’ The thought came to my mind. ‘After all, I also went along and now I am tired too.’ I was also getting angry at myself that after all, I had spoiled the habit of everyone in the house.
Nirmala disconnected, and turned to speak to Amma. But she was long gone. Once more, the poor kitchen utensils were bearing the brunt of Amma’s temper.
The Muse of the Month is a monthly writing contest organised by Women’s Web, bringing you original fiction inspired by women.
Ujwala Shenoy Karmarkar is one of the winners for the October 2021 Muse of the Month, and wins a Rs 750 Amazon voucher from Women’s Web. The juror for this month, Himanjali Sankar commented, “The age-old connection between a mother and daughter is explored poignantly through an exasperated love, which is often seemingly angry and impatient, that a daughter feels for her mother and the way she comes to make peace with it. A story set in Covid times that puts us in touch with the importance of love, connections and gratitude in a non-preachy, very real way.”
Nirmala grimaced as she picked up her cup of tea. It was cold and had a greasy film over it. Her class had lasted two hours, and she had been talking continuously for most of it. Her back was aching and her throat was sore.
Have you thought about your house helps? How many of you will be paying their full salary in spite of them not coming in this lockdown?
With the increasing number of cases each day, the fear and tension has been on a high. With everyone being locked down in their respective houses, there have been salary cuts and people are becoming clueless regarding the things at the work front.
Initially, during the first stage of lockdown, everyone wanted to be safe and even promised their helps that there will be no salary cuts. But, with its extension, people are becoming more worried regarding the payments. With the fall in the economy, pay cuts is a bitter reality.
Our domestic helpers work meticulously, leaving their family, their children back at home, just to help us, make our meals, take care of our kids, washing our utensils, wiping the floors; and their work is endless. Whenever they turn up late, we keep calling them. We don’t even try to listen to their urgency, what we want is ‘them’.
The global pandemic has affected each one of us in a number of ways. However, it also taught me these 8 important life lessons!
On the 1st of Jan 2020, I updated a new profile picture on my social media handles with the caption, ‘Swag se karenge 2020 ka swagat’ (Let’s welcome 2020 with swag)
Little did I know then, what this new year has in store for the entire globe. It has been more than five months, and we are cocooned inside our abodes. I would not say that life has paused or slowed down because the workload has multiplied. Since, everyone is at home 24/7, I am on my toes round the clock.
Meeting deadlines at work, home-schooling the kids along with the regular household chores is exhausting. I constantly have my plate full but have also made peace with the current situation. And I’ve accepted it as the new normal and that I am not the only one doing this since the whole world is in the same boat as me.