It has been the worst of times. After all, there is no other way to describe the impact of a pandemic. And yet, the sky today gave meaning to the term ‘sky-blue’, a rare sight in the capital city where I have lived for twenty-five plus years.

It has been an unprecedented four months. The lockdowns and social distancing have taught us to be self-reliant in more ways than one! Living under siege has made us aware of the many truths that should have been self-evident to any intelligent person. However, it is not our intelligence that is in question; our going through the motions of life seemingly with purpose somehow has reduced our awareness of what matters.

‘Busyness’ and ‘multitasking’ insidiously took over our lives. For many, the focus on work became all-consuming and that had to be a good thing. Well, you cannot be faulted for working hard! As workaholics, we did not realize that the focus on ‘doing’ better often takes away the ability to become ‘better’ people. When we prioritize work over the legitimate needs of a parent, spouse, child, friend, or neighbor, everyone loses. While the pandemic added to the workload of a few, it brought life to a standstill for the majority, forcing us to think.

Introspection has yielded that living a life of excess comes at the cost of health and happiness – the imbalance is evident in the environment. We do not need so many things. The only purchases made in the last four months have been food, medicines, and other essentials. The many belongings we have worked so hard to afford lie neglected and devalued.  

Stuck at home, people have taught themselves how to make the very dishes they love going to eat in restaurants. Yes, you do not want to see the picture of another dish on your social media feed but it is a fact that people have found new ways to engage themselves. We have rekindled our hobbies from reading and writing to painting, playing games, bicycling, and so much more, realizing afresh how much more there is to life.

The children have learned to be ‘bored’ and figured out new ways to keep busy. The very computer that held so much charm for the kids has become the device they seek to shun and ‘zoom’ out of!

The value of people has assumed its rightful place in our lives, but the forced solitude has also taught us to learn how to live with ourselves. It has been a journey of discovery – of our interests, our necessities, and most importantly, our blessings.

It would have been nice to gain a better appreciation of our lives without the pandemic. But it is what it is. Now, it is up to us to remember the lessons we have imbibed and to create a new normal that sees us living meaningfully and with gratitude.

It has been the worst of times. But it has been also the best of times.