It was a usual day for me when the university had declared that it was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On weekdays, I would mostly enjoy the sunset while sitting with my friends. Although there were speculations that the country might go into a complete lockdown, I wasn’t expecting it to happen this soon.
The same evening, it was announced that there will be a 21-days lockdown. Since March 25, 2020, every day seems like a weekend. We all are trying our best to practice social distancing. People are cautious and are taking all the precautions they can.
What seems different is the way family life feels these days. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us all to stay in our homes. Most of us have the privilege of staying with our families during this harsh time. I am one of those lucky people. Though my father is not in India currently, at least I am with my other family members.
I will not say that my relations with the family members have changed or become better as we have always shared a great bond. However, I have realised certain things, which I believe, would have never occurred to me had this disease not confined us indoors: I was taking my family life for granted.
My routine was something like this: wake up; go to the university; get back home; work, study, and sleep. There were a few moments of light conversation with family members, but I was more engrossed in my academics. There were times when I could not receive my father’s calls because I was working in the studio for hours. I did not get time to help my mother with the household chores or lend my baby sister a helping hand in her academics.
Being at home 24*7 has lead me to the realisation that apart from making an awesome career that I crave, I have certain other responsibilities to fulfill. Our existence is enough for our parents but our little gestures of care and attention towards them makes them feel good.
I love how I am finally able to answer my father’s calls in time; how I help my mother with the household work; and how I teach my sister the tricks to learn things easily. LOL. I guess it is true that problems and battles in life bring people closer. The best part is that I don’t feel the urge to go out. My home feels comfortable more than ever, and that’s because of the presence of my family members I failed to acknowledge earlier.