Just like many of us, my initial days of the nationwide lockdown against Covid-19 was spent either watching those horrifying videos on YouTube on how to sanitise yourself or searching for online PPE kits to use as my daily wear. However, I struck gold the day I took an effort to learn from my very own home expert on quarantine — my grandmother.
All I had to do was observe and imbibe the wisdom from her “normal” that now the media propagated as the “new normal”. So listen carefully.
Lesson #1
Cherish these moments. These moments are never going to come back. What is the necessity to be anxious about tomorrow when the only day you have got in your hand is today?
Lesson #2
Read the newspaper headlines. Look outside; enjoy your garden view. Those green vines have grown rather wild. It needs to be cut. Wow, that jasmine you planted last month has bloomed. Did you girls see that? Read the headlines once again.
Lesson #3
Sail back and forth around the house with a walker for background music to give yourself that feeling of a hero’s entrance. Try to recall who all are present in the house and who all are not, and if not, why and where they went.
Lesson #4
Remember to take your food and medication on time. Also, remind others to do the same.
Lesson #5
Take a seat in your veranda and spend your evenings “people-watching” against the beautiful orange sky.
Lesson #6
Watch the news channel in the evenings. Make sure to not listen to the news but only read those flashing headlines below.
Lesson #7
When the news channel airs advertisements, take a break to utilise that time to once again sail back and forth around the house to ensure that all your loved ones are back at home. Also, ensure your neighbours are back home for that extra safety and security.
Lesson #8
If your loved one cuddles you or kisses you, cuddle them back and shower them with at least two kisses instead of just one, for you love them more.
These are my takeaways from my 50 days of nationwide lockdown with my grandmother. Today marks 1 year since I moved back home. From the past 1 year, I can say one thing for sure, if not anything else, that my grandma is happier during this fight or flight situation against the pandemic than before, for all her loved ones are at her beck and call.
Who said a lockdown is not fun?