Surprises no one asked for, but was it all bad?

What 2020 gave us? A few extra kilograms, a lot of sulking, depression, bad news, comic relief acts of banging and lighting announced by the government, favourite clothes gathering dust, perfumes and makeups lying unused, relationships going long-distance for months, and of course, staying locked down at home and away from parties and social gatherings.

But was it all that we got from this year? When before 2020 did we spend hours and days and months with our family at a stretch? Before this year, when did we get so much time to look back, sit, think, rectify mistakes, be creative, and find joy in smaller things of life? Before this pandemic, how much time did we dedicate to pamper ourselves and pamper our loved ones? We have always been so engrossed in the running faster than others that we never felt thankful for what we had, and even if we did, did we live in the present or were always planning on what next?

This year for me has been harassment if I put it in a word but what I can say is that I have got so much from this year that I really should not be the one complaining. I am still struggling to find a job for myself, and I am on the verge of completing my studies. So, just after completing my studies, what should I look forward to? A nice job, a happy life with my partner, nice vacations every year and so much more but what am I happy about right now? The fact that I am alive, healthy, loved and in love, that is all. I will be dishonest if I say I do not worry but yes I do find my peace too every now and then in all these things. I do not remember when I spent so much time with my parents and family since 2012, the year that I left my hometown for higher studies. Somehow, this is for the first time I noticed that these two people are also growing old; I never noticed it till now. I always had a very on and off chemistry with my father but this year brought us closer like never before. Now, when I reflect on my life (which I did not do so much in the past given that I have this issue of feeling guilty about things from the past) I feel good about so many things, even many of the mistakes and wrong decisions that I had taken. 

I belong to a generation which has seen dial-up connection and monochromatic television with an antenna but ever since we have discovered the joys of instant food and instant messaging we want everything instantly. For the first time, we slowed down, put a brake, and started accepting that everything cannot happen immediately, and it was not at all bad. We forgot certain things about life which came up to us once again because we had a good few minutes to ourselves while beating up the coffee for some dalgona. That is exactly why we saw throwbacks trending like never before because people like us sat down and swiped down through the gallery after ages to discover memories worth sharing.

For sure hugging is scary, shaking hands is a dreaded act, high five is better if avoided and kissing is terrifying but still what we have realised is the power of love, care, and the fact that we should be grateful and empathetic because our loved ones and we are fit, and kicking is a lot to be thankful about.