2020 seems to be getting a lot of flak. But for me it has been the most amazing and unique year. Starting with mummy and papa it seemed an innocuous start. Things were quite settled as we celebrated birthdays and anniversaries through January and February. With March loomed work from home. Initially it was a novel thing. Colleagues were enthusiastic about the online meet ups, elders spoke about the unique situation. There was conspiracy and an undercurrent of excitement. Till reality bite. And things were not so hunky dory as the rigmarole of keeping everything normal in the face of abnormal came in.
Schools closed. And that added to the challenge of accomplishing work tasks. Personally for me there was the additional work of the kids entertained and fed at home. At school they have the lunch and playtime ensures adequate physical exercise. Also they have enough extra curricular to keep active. But with all that being absent a lot fell on our shoulders. Dragging them for walks after a day of work needed will both for us and the kids. But somehow a routine set in in the respect too. We were very very lucky to have Papa Mummy with us who were a major help. My walks with the kids and Mummy, innumerable times through the same woods will be a remarkable memory of this year.
As the world started opening up in the middle of the year, the return of my parents was to be planned. We had started with the cold winters with the garden being stark, merged on to the warming spring with daffodils and lillies and marched on to summer when in the words of Papa 'everything was full of flowers!' As the seasons progressed to the darker autumn, we bid goodbye to them.
So much had happened over 3/4ths of the year. We had transformed the spare bedroom into office room. There were one addition after another to the office space. Shopping for clothes, accessories and makeup went down to zero while that for fitness and cooking went up. Ah also plants! A lot of new ones got added. We had also managed to metamorphose the children from reluctant walkers to seasoned ones.
As Papa Mummy reset life in India we reset life here. It was easier no doubt. Picking the kids from school without after school was much to their liking. We were definitely more tight knit as a family as we worked a lot with each other for our engagement and entertainment. We took on the traditions of Ganesh Puja, Diwali, Halloween and Christmas a bit more strongly since obviously I had more time :) We read more. The kids and K watched better shows. It was a really enriching experience.
This year made me accept and appreciate how much I like spending time by myself and with my select few. I am fanatically unsocial and this year was as if carved out for me. Along with reading I could spend time on art work, home improvements, gardening and cooking. I am never buying peanut butter,nutella or paneer ever again since in the words of K I have mastered them :) . Neither am I going to shy away from exotic plants and homegrown vegetables. I will keep working on my fitness goals which at the moment is the one needing most motivation :) With a year in isolation I have also researched just so many many amazing places nearby. Nothing warrants an expensive holiday when all the kids want is to catch sight of a squirrel in the woods or a bird chirping like crazy on a branch.
As the year draws to a close I hope we all discover the wonderful that is within us. And devise ways and means to enrich ourselves. And if we are content then let's not be afraid to extend a helping hand to others. Some people need help,and might be shy to ask. So even we are the ones saying 'Hi! How are things?' more often than others are, let's do it. And help one more willing person to be a bit more self reliant.
As we have seen this year that there are professions which matter - the medics, the teachers, the law enforcement - let's realise that there are things more important than money, fame and success. There is light at the end of the tunnel with vaccines being bought and plans being afoot for mass immunisations. Let's bid 2020 a goodbye as the year that has been unprecented. Difficult yes. But what a lot it has taught us. A year for reflection. A year to take a step back. A year for taking it a notch down - something I think we wish for in other years. And let's hope this year gives us a lot of life enriching habits. We have life at the end of this year. Let's acknowledge and celebrate it. Wishing everyone who passes by a very happy new year!
