Love in the time of Corona: Let’s appreciate tiny things to be grateful for

it seems a little odd to talk about joy when we are surrounded by so much fear and dread. Fear will convince us that something vile is around the corner, where we have to keep an eye 24X7 on the latest updates and scan every scary WhatsApp that is forwarded to us. It tells us stories of doomsday as we chase down stories of obsessive paranoia on social media through the day and have troubled nightmares of the world coming to an end at night. This dread has a knack of spreading its toxic fingers into all things that mean so much to us — our relationships, our work, our health. 

And yes, I am talking about the fear doing this and not the coronavirus. Through my co-research with children, we have developed a handy vaccine for this fear that works well for all ages – and it’s as simple as ABC. Alert to the gremlins of worry that start churning away, breathe out (imagine you are a dragon blowing a feather on your hand) and change the channel (from worry to the joy channel). Tune into moments of humour and playfulness — laugh, sing, be silly. As jazz singer Nat King Cole put it, “There may be trouble ahead, but while there’s moonlight and music and love and romance, let’s face the music and dance.”

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Simplicity 

“Earn more, want more and spend more” is slowly becoming the mantra of our urban society riding high on the wave of easy affluence. Mall culture and credit card companies have convinced us that happiness is there at the click of a finger, and we have let ourselves be lulled by this fake propaganda. Maybe the inevitable exponential rise of Corona with social distancing and stay-at-home approach is a timely reminder for us to re-prioritise our life where a counter-culture of stoicism and “less is more” could help us reconnect with what truly matters to us. The families that I have met in the past have talked about how they are doing things they had forgotten brought them so much joy – goofing around with their children without any agenda, spending time in nature, staying away from gadgets and social media, writing, gardening, cooking, just sitting and doing nothing. And remember it’s also okay for the kids to be bored. Stillness and solitude is essential to their growth and it is a milestone they have to cross to reach a rich inner life of contemplation and creativity. Maybe this is the unseen benefit of a global disaster. 

Courage 

The question right now is not, “what if” but “so what”? “What if” leads us down the road of fear, dread, paranoia and disconnection from all the things that bring meaning to our life. The question of “so what” makes us stand tall and take a very different vantage point towards life. So what if somebody we love gets the virus, so what if we have to be quarantined, so what if this virus brings the economy of our country to its knees? The damage will be irretrievable but maybe it will leave us feeling stronger, wiser and more grateful to what we have rather than what we do not. Maybe we will be able to stand up to the normative judgements of the society and align our lives to what we truly value. We have had our share of natural and unnatural calamities but our generation till now has not faced crushing wars, devastating famines or pandemics that have scarred our ancestors. It is really amusing, if not painful, to think that we had the hubris to believe that with all our advanced technology and scientific breakthroughs, we were somehow invincible. 

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Appreciation 

In the past few weeks has it struck you how privileged we are and how much we take for granted? The disposable incomes, getting our kids the best education, access to quality health care, eating out, planning interesting holidays. Now that it is being taken away from us (even though temporarily) it makes us realise how much easier our lives have become and even then, we have complained about things not being good enough as somebody always had it better. So let’s pause and appreciate tiny things that we can be grateful for – the glorious weather or just the fact that we still have people we love alive and close to us. As a wise father commented, “It’s a nudge at a crucial juncture in our lives. It’s a reminder of our True North.” 

Love

All you need is love is an anthem that the Beatles gave to our generation and the ones to follow. We need love, spades of it, in the weeks and months to follow as we struggle and rebuild our lives in the face of “the Full Catastrophe” (Zorba The Greek). In many ways, in our country, it is coming to the more privileged sections – the ones who have travelled and brought it back home. But at times like this, our privilege and prejudice does start showing while talking about marginalised people, “I do not let my kids go close to them.” 

Social distancing cannot become about stigmatising and humiliating people who are the most vulnerable. It is at times like this that we can turn against each other as the stress levels rise. As the saying goes, be kind as each person is fighting a battle that we know nothing about. We do not know how we would act in their shoes. 

Also Read: Amid the coronavirus crisis, these parents are finding humour

What we need is a sense of solidarity as we are all in this together. So every morning, before starting our day, let’s be mindful of our True North and commit to bringing the best of ourselves to the world. Maybe that will be the most effective and powerful inoculation against the rising “us against them” hatred. We might not have the vaccine, but we definitely can build our village to save ourselves. 

Here’s a quick coronavirus guide for you to stay updated: Who all should be tested for Covid-19 and when? | How should you quarantine yourself? | How often (and how) should you clean your home? | What is the Janata Curfew announced by PM Modi? | Who are restricted from coming to India, and from when? | How long can the virus live on surfaces or in air around you? | Still more Coronavirus Q&A Explained news here