Over the years, your support has made Women’s Web the leading resource for women in India. Now, it is our turn to ask, how can we make this even more useful for you? Please take our short 5 minute questionnaire – your feedback is important to us!
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 is a linguist, who works at a diplomatic mission, is a wife, a mother, and an Indian citizen who is passionate about living life to its fullest. She is actively involved in several social read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 might have had a box office collection of 260 crores INR and entertained Indian audiences, but it's full of problematic stereotypes.
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 starts with a scene in which the protagonist, Ruhaan (played by Kartik Aaryan) finds an abandoned pink suitcase in a moving cable car and thinks there was a bomb inside it.
Just then, he sees an unknown person (Kiara Advani) wave and gesture at him to convey that the suitcase was theirs. Ruhaan, with the widest possible smile, says, “Bomb mai bag nahi hai, bomb ka bag hai,” (There isn’t a bomb in the bag, the bag belongs to a bomb).
Who even writes such dialogues in 2022?
Most of us dislike being called aunty because of the problematic meanings attached to it. But isn't it time we accept growing old with grace?
Recently, during one of those deep, thoughtful conversations with my 3 y.o, I ended a sentence with “…like those aunty types.” I quickly clicked my tongue. I changed the topic and did everything in my hands to make her forget those last few words.
I sat down with a cup of coffee and drilled myself about how the phrase ‘aunty-type’ entered my lingo. I have been hearing this word ‘aunty’ a lot these days, because people are addressing me so.
Almost a year ago, I was traveling in a heavily-crowded bus and a college girl asked me “Aunty, can you please hold my bag?” It was the first time and I was first shocked and later offended. Then I thought about why I felt so.