The Quarter of Disruption (and Gratitude) in my Lifetime

When Q2 of calendar 2020 started, I thought that it would be a matter of two more weeks before life returned to normal after the lockdown ended on April 14. As the days passed, the possibility of returning to a ‘normal’ routine any time soon started looking bleak. I struggled to think of a hobby I could take up, to bolster my ego if nothing else. I have always prioritized two things in my life – family and work. There was hardly a need to look for other activities to fill my time, simply because I never had any time to spare! Succumbing to the pressure, I decided to do something which would make me feel less worthless.

So I decided to ‘walk the talk’ by taking up a Fitbit challenge of walking 10,000 steps which our Unit head Rajesh Varrier started for all the DX leaders. So while I was on official calls, I started walking and I patted myself on the back every time I walked and thanked Rajesh for coming up with such an ingenuous idea. A hobby and fitness combined into one. Nothing could be simpler than that. Let’s just say I talked more and walked less, making it a case of ‘talk the walk’!

 And so I continued brooding about the apparent lack of something meaningful to do till I came across an article on Vogue: Please Stop Telling Me to Get a Hobby. I felt as if the writer had read my mind and transposed my thoughts into words. A couple of lines which particularly resonated with me were: “We really just need to work on being more kind and gracious with ourselves” and “It’s okay if the greatest thing you do this year is get through it.”

I felt so relieved after reading the article. In hindsight, I think I was being na?ve by looking for external cues for validating my state of happiness, whereas happiness had been by my side at all times. Working from home meant that I had the company of my entire family at all times. What more could I ask for? They were my pillars of support throughout this period, and I am blessed to have them with me during this period of disruption in our lifetimes.

Perhaps the highlight of the quarter was my birthday in June. My husband took full advantage of the opportunity to drive home the message that his wife is a workaholic. The carefully-planned birthday cake showed a lady (me) in front of my laptop, eyes glued to the screen, with my mobile phone and cup of black coffee on either side protecting me from trespassers. There was no question of being annoyed – the cake was both beautiful and delicious. And yes, I will extract my revenge on his birthday!

There is one thing which I have started doing every day without fail – expressing gratitude for everything in my life. A moment of crisis often teaches many people to value even small things, and it was no different with me. Expressing gratitude for everything has helped me stay calm and motivated during these turbulent times. It has helped me realize that all of us are imperfectly perfect in our own ways, and needlessly comparing ourselves to others is a futile exercise. Here’s hoping that everyone stays safe and healthy till this unimaginable crisis blows over.

Thank you for reading and let me know how has this quarter of disruption changed you. I look forward to hearing from you.