Tanishka Maheshwari
Netflix along with “chill” were most oft-repeated and popular words in our dictionary during the pre-lockdown period for my group of friends and me. A majority of our lives revolved around these. Whenever we got a surprise holiday, be it for any reason, on a working day, our happiness knew no bounds. There was an inexpressible joy to it. Weekends were always our favourite days of the week. We counted days for the weekend to arrive, leave alone the summer and winter vacations. But for the past one month-plus, all these things don’t make our faces shine up or our hearts overwhelm because quite contradictory to popular belief, Netflix isn’t really “chill”-ed anymore. Neither are holidays. We have actually lost count as to when a weekend arrives and leaves.
Suddenly we feel motivated to go outside and work, ready to take those extra shifts too, maybe? We’re craving for those roadside momos which we earlier rejected for being unhygienic. We’re ready to go at all those parties we normally chose to avoid because they were overcrowded. We’re calling up people (read: friends and family) to enquire about their welfare. These are the same set of people for whom we never had time for.
Do you see what I do too behind all this? Otherwise very avoidable seeming things of our daily lives are being missed the most “this time”. “This time” has made me realise the importance of things which have been underappreciated in our lives — every handshake, every hug, every small meal out, every cinema night, every stroll in the park, even of the maddening traffic on the last turn before my colony. For no matter how tiring those traffic jams were, it helped me feel the rush of the city.
“This time” has truly helped me reflect upon things less noticed in my busy life, and how truly blessed I am. But it’s sad to realise that it took a global pandemic for this realisation to take place. I hope we learn true and unconditional gratitude for the things we always take for granted.
Talking of being blessed. A part of me is also grateful for “this time” that has made me realise how utterly privileged we are — that we have our families with us, a roof above our heads and jobs that provide us enough to not only afford our basic necessities but takes care of our luxuries too. “This time” has filled me with overwhelming emotions and a capacity to look at the glass that is not half empty but half full.
I have nothing but gratitude as a giveaway. In “this time” which can make anyone anxious and tense easily, let’s radiate positivity and take a moment out to appreciate the good in the picture. Because I actually believe that we’re not STUCK at home but SAFE at home.
Tanishka appeared for Class XII Boards this year
