We are at Day 51 of social isolation and never did I realise the importance of communication. The more we communicate, the closer we get. The same has been happening with me, and so, I’m considering the lockdown as a welcome change.
We are a family of five. With all the active engagements in our respective lives, we didn’t get much time to know and listen to each other except at the dinner table. I always hoped for more time with my parents and siblings, but I did not or couldn’t ever imagine how it is to be home together with everybody for so long and for so many days with almost no work on hand. This is a historic time and was unprecedented when it all started. From helping one another to playing games and having chit-chat sessions to revive childhood memories—it’s all fun. But I should acknowledge that though it’s not so easy to cope, given the many times of disputes or clash of opinions, it feels good to be in constant proximity.
Also, this period has not only given me the opportunity to converse with my immediate family but also with the extended ones. I have always heard that relationships are more important than gadgets, but I feel that gadgets have kept us close to our kith and kin—phone calls, video calls, chats, WhatsApp games, long uninterrupted conversations, and whatnot.
Mentioning one such instance when one of my family members asked all of us to sing and send the recordings through WhatsApp. We then organised a meeting on Zoom where we heard all the voices and had a delightful musical evening. Likewise, we are having more such events. So, I believe that it all boils down to conversations and times spent together, something we rarely do nowadays.
Thus, I’m filled with gratitude for all the comforts in life that we take for granted. There is so much suffering, but I’m lucky that god has given me a good family and all the required comforts to keep us safe from the hullabaloo going on in the entire world.