What I gained during the Shelter at home...

Over the last few months, everyone with a pulse across the globe, has been impacted by Covid-19. The impact has been varied - from missed graduations and vacations to the other extreme - being pushed to the brink of starvation. Most on this platform - have been luckier than others, but millions of people have lost their businesses or jobs leaving them homeless and penniless.

We have been lucky because– while we have been locked in at home, denied vacations and weekend getaways and company of family / friends, its nothing in comparison to what the less fortunate have had to suffer. In the spirit of counting my lucky stars here’s my list of things I have gained for this lockdown; things I am truly thankful for...

Learning how difficult it can be to be kindergarten teacher

School closures has meant juggling work with home schooling. The challenges of home schooling kindergartners has been a revelation of epic proportions to us. I’d like to coin a new phrase for anything that's extremely difficult and needs eons of patience – “Its like teaching a kindergartner” ??. Who knew that writing 5 three-letter words could take anywhere from 30 mins to 4 hrs – and that time is indirectly proportional to how soon you need to turn-in your office presentation for review!!! To that end, I would like to, in all humility and awe, salute every kindergarten teacher out there. Which other superhuman can hold attention and impart knowledge to, not one, but dozens of minions day in and day out, and still smile at the end of the day. Move over nuclear scientists and bomb disposal squads, these teachers have the real nerves of steel. 

(Re)Connecting with my Kids

While on the topic of kids, here is another one. Working parents, despite the best intentions of wanting to spend time with their kids, only really experience a slice of their kids life – from 7 am to 9 am in the morning and then again between 4 pm and 7 pm in the evenings. But this shelter at home has opened my eyes to a completely new facet of our kids personality – and new facets of our own behavior around them.

Just the other day, my 5 year old daughter put on her unicorn ear warmers/ earmuffs and started off – “hello guys, I’m sorry I am late. So lets get to the agenda …..”. I almost fell off my chair in the next room. As it turns out, pretend play is not limited to superheroes and my lil' pony – dad’s / mom’s meetings are as fun too!!!

During this time I have, more than once, had an out of body experience, when interacting with my kids. A few weeks ago - My daughter decided that it would be so much fun to pretend that she was Elsa (from Frozen II) and ski - using body lotion as snow to slide over our recently polished wood floor.

I saw myself play out 2 distinct reactions to that in my mind. One which my parents would have had if they had caught me in the same situation - that would not have ended well at all for me . And the other (which I can proudly say actually transpired) - a smile followed by a "listen Ms. Elsa,,, here's why this was not a good idea at all" talk.

Re-Connecting with parents and extended family

For many people who live away from their immediate (and extended) family – this shelter at home has meant we have had more facetime/ whatsapp calls in the last one month then we may have over the past year. My parents and siblings live 7000 miles away from us. In the pre-COVID19 days, we used to call home once a week at best and conversations would last 3-5 mins at best. But nowadays we call our them almost twice a day. My kids spend 30-40 mins listening to stories with their grandma or teasing their cousins - all on the portal / iPhone. I have called my uncles and aunts, nephews and nieces and long lost friends more often than I did in the last 10 years.

While technology may have enabled us to connect across thousands of miles, it took a worldwide pandemic for us to really come close. That, for me, was the best silver lining of this pandemic.

Connecting with Nature ... truly

We've all read the stories about the pandemic being a boon to nature - seen pictures of wild animals roaming freely on roads and images of earth with the reduced NOX levels as measured by NASA.

We had our own little visitors during the lockdown - a mummy hummingbird (named Custard by my kids) laid 2 tiny eggs on our lemon tree. We were able to watch them up close as the eggs turn hatched in to chicks and Custard fed them over 21 days before they flew off one by one in search of their next flower. What excitement it was, when my kids and I rushed to the backyard - every single morning for those 21 days, to see how much the chicks had grown. It was quite a treat.

Giving up on meeting friends, enjoying great food in fancy restaurants, a weekend getaway or two - all that has been tough. But when I think about the things I have gained – it makes the shelter at home much more palatable.