Author: Adamya Tiwari, Class X B
This global pandemic has given us a golden opportunity to experience a completely new form of life with elements like social distancing, masks, quarantines, etc. This form of life took a bit of time for all to get acquainted with, especially the young minds. This situation, which we are witnessing, has given us time to acquire a set of lessons which are as follows:
Interacting with family
The family time had long ago been consumed by the gizmos, but this age old habit is resurfacing. This has brought a realization in kids about the importance of regular interaction with parents and other elders, and how useful their counselling is to them. Their life experiences are so motivating and realistic and how much could they absorb from them. Kids now would have a bold approach towards their parents for any counselling and this would bridge the communication gap created due to the fast life of both kids and parents.
Living with least resources
The Covid-19 lockdown in India taught us how to manage with less resources. This pandemic has also reflected the magnitude of consumerism we have developed within us and has resulted in the stark degradation in the consumerism we had prior to the lockdown.
Meditation
The hectic life and never-ending schedule of each day left no time for us. Our body was not able to communicate with us. This pandemic has given us a chance to look inside ourselves. This relaxes our mind and soul and we are completely recharged. This is what meditation is. Just sitting still and quietly in a room could rejuvenate you. This thought is completely and convincingly expressed in the quote given by the 17th century French philosopher Blaise Pascal: “All of humanity’s problems stem from man`s inability to sit quietly in a room alone”
The practice of self-assessment
This pandemic offers us time to sit alone. We get lost somewhere in the vast depths our memory, and the next thing which happens is we start to assess our actions. This is where the habit of self-assessment starts. This not only helps us to improve our character but also creates a way out of the inextricable life we live in.
The importance of a break
The fastidious life and the serpentine routine of the day had ended the possibility of a break in life, and we soon forgot the value of breaks. The lockdown was indeed a break until the online classes commenced, albeit the fact that this break was too prolonged. Here, a new element is introduced which is that the breaks you take should not be extensively long or short. The sanctity of this refreshing break is hampered when these breaks start to make you lazy. So a balance between your working time and the break time is also essential.
The impression created in our minds by the pandemic could not be erased from our minds easily but if these lessons are properly absorbed, these life lessons would be no less than the actual `Amrita of life` which could even be passed on to the future generations.
I would conclude by saying that the meaning of life is not only doing work or only relaxing but balancing all the roles you play as a student, family member or a friend.
After all- `Anything in the universe without a balance in itself, could not survive long.`
