Despite All The Heartache, I Want To Thank 2020 For These Things

2020 turned out to be quite the ‘cursed’ year for almost all humanity, but there are a few things that I am thankful for. What about you?

The year that blurred our lives, brought the world to a screeching halt and gave us anxieties and heartburns day and night, I thank thee despite the damage you did to my people.

You did give nature a chance to recover from the human onslaught.

Need v/s Want

You showed me my true image in the mirror and I called it reality check. We the hoarders stopped in our tracks for a while to analyse what we really need. I bought only what I required and counted my blessings. For once greed was at bay.

Essential services

Our essential service providers, who stayed on working “sans cess” through it all, were hitherto obscure. My gratitude to them for whatever they did. They kept oiling our rusty hinges to pull us through 2020 at great cost to their own comfort and safety.

Support online

The depression in the economy and our incomes dwindling with the loss of homes and jobs for our migrant workers was overwhelming. I was drained watching the news day and night. The only way to deal with my angst was to meditate and pray. I am thankful to our gurus and healers who kept up the online encouragement. I chanted, prayed and meditated like never before.

Upskilling of everyone for online meets

The exceedingly difficult year gave me an opportunity to skill up on technology. I couldn’t meet but thankfully I could connect to my friends and family through google meets, zoom, hangouts and so many other platforms. Kudos to my parents, uncles and aunties, all who learnt to socialize online and kept up the chitchat.

Dabbling in art and writing

I did many online courses. I read and wrote a lot of poetry and short stories for anthologies. This kept my head and heart in the right place. I dabbled in a lot of painting too. I love acrylics and picked up various online tutorials to learn the art. Every time I did that, I thanked google and YouTube. They became my teachers in absence of human contact.

Eating healthier & working out

I lost 12 kgs of weight in this crazy year. I learnt to cook with online groups. Friendships blossomed over shared hobbies.

The husband was happy to get healthy food cooked by me. The son couldn’t believe it when he got home cooked butter chicken and naan. Mommy finally had her balancing act together.

I prayed, exercised, did house work and cooked too. I volunteered online classes on weekends for an under privileged group I am attached to.

A time to be grateful

Working from home for the first time in twenty-five years gave me a chance to sit and think. I am eternally grateful that I could donate the petrol money saved every month to the Gurudwaras, because they kept the ‘langars’ going to feed the hungry in spite of the lockdown.

Reconnecting with my plants

The pollution and social distancing rules force me to work from home twice a week even after the lockdown. I connect to my plants. I bond with them. I grow flowers, garlic and spinach in pots. I now realise how hard it is to grow food. I thank the farmers, and pray for every single person to win in 2021 despite the Covid onslaught.

2020 you came and now you are ready to go, while I stand and try to wrap my head around what was and what will be. You taught me a lot. The biggest lesson I learnt is to be a bridge that connects hearts. We will get through the biggest challenge of our lifetime. The vaccine will come and the world will heal. We human beings are an adaptable and resilient lot.

So I will bid you good-bye soon, 2020.

I look forward to new beginnings. The song I’ll Be That Bridge by Elliott Yamin is my mantra for 2021.

Image source: paulnaude on Pixabay

Bindiya Bedi Charan Noronha

Bindiya is a linguist, works at a diplomatic mission, is a wife, a mother, an

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