Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Once upon a 'quar'-an-time

My God. Oh My God.

It is the last day today, of the first quarter of 2020. As of today, we have been in lockdown here in Abu Dhabi for around 3 weeks.

It is the small things that we never see coming, that can hit us the hardest, isn't it? I am looking now at a photo on my wall in the living room, clicked on the first day of this year. On that day we did not know anything about the stormy 2020 times that lay ahead of us, or these uncertainties.

In January and February, our life went on as routine as ever - something that we always took for granted as time zoomed from one day to another. The kids' schooling, their extra curricular activities, trips to the supermarket, my alone time, our family time - it seemed mundane then!

In the background we were always reading news about the coronavirus affecting Wuhan and before we knew it, the virus was at our doorstep and our government had issued notices for everything to shut down - schools, malls, shops, activities.

It is time now to segue into a new normal. What was normal then is not allowed now. I never thought we'll need permits to leave our house during the day time but it has happened. The weather is so amazing here in March, it is the one last month we cling on to because as soon as April arrives, the heat arrives too. But in the new scheme of things - we can't. We're making the most of chilling on the balcony though!

Every dark and stormy cloud has a silver lining and for us, we definitely have more time together now that we are all home. The kids have to log in to their e-learning for the first half of the day but the second half is time to chill. Life has definitely quietened down and we are quite grateful for it.

If you're reading this and if you're feeling any anxiety due to the lockdown - find a reason to smile today. Start a gratitude journal, rediscover hobbies. Move your focus away from the coronavirus and trust me, you'll feel a lot better. I know it's easier said than done but try.

We're all in this together - let's hold hands and take a deep breath!! This too shall pass!

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