Find contentment with your family while staying home

The journey of life is very unpredictable. This journey takes us through great storms and bumpy roads, but it does not matter. What matters the most is how many times we conjure the willpower to continue on the journey called life. There is no doubt that we are going through a great crisis and everything around us seems uncertain as the novel coronavirus has stalled the lives of millions of people globally, while killing hundreds and thousands of people around the world everyday. We have forgotten how we used to act, think, play, work and learn before the pandemic hit.

The entire world is vulnerable. People are questioning how long the pandemic will last and what their lives will be like once it is over.  Numerous nations have imposed nationwide lockdowns, and urged masses to remain indoors in a bid to contain the deadly virus. Experts have voiced that people all over the world are experiencing issues related to mental wellbeing. As uncertainty looms over our heads, no one can say for certain if our daily lives will ever go back to the way it was post Covid-19 outbreak. 

When we think about life these days, we feel frustrated, agitated and distressed. The ongoing situation frightens us, and our fears have turned into persistent complaints about how unliveable our lives have become amid the shutdown. This has made me feel under the weather as well. But I experienced a change in perspective on March10. I was on the way back home from work and stopped by at a grocery store. It had taken me two and a half hours to reach home from Gulshan 1.

As soon as I reached home around 7.30 or 8 in the evening, I started rushing to prepare for the next day since my son had school and I had office the next day morning. My son went to bed at 9.30am and I could barely spend any time with him. We used to wait for the weekend impatiently. On March 16, it was declared that all the educational institutions would remain suspended for an uncertain period to curb the spread of Covid-19.

I am a lecturer at a university, hence my holidays began and so did my son's. It has been two months now that we have been cooped up at home. The home quarantined days have helped me feel how my relationship with my son has changed and how differently he has been treating me during this whole time.

Now we do not have to wait for weekends to spend time anymore. We can play at home anytime we want. My son seems happier, not only for being able to spend time with me but also for being able spend the whole day playing with his grandparents. My father is his best friend and I love this friendship between a 62-year-old and a seven year old when I see them playing cricket together.

Their excitement regarding the game is one the same level and they try to defeat each other with the same enthusiasm. These changes in our relationships might not have come if we did not get to stay home the whole day. I would not have been able to see this super excited, hyper and happy boy if I did not get the chance to spend so much time with him.

So, let us take a moment and ponder over the fact that everything and every situation has its pros and cons that need to be considered carefully. While this is a challenging time, and the most difficult period for many, we always have to remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

How much time did we spend at home before the pandemic? Did we pay enough attention to our families before we were forced to stay home? The pandemic has brought a lot of misery, but it has also changed our life for the better. Maybe we have learned to value our families now more than before. This pandemic has taught us to deal with whatever good or bad comes our way. Life is a long-term challenge and it is not about winning or losing every time. Even if we have lost the post-Covid-19 lifestyle, we have succeeded in understanding the value of our loved ones during shutdown. These days have also given us the opportunity to strengthen our family ties, and be more positive and communicative with the family members.

The writer is a lecturer at the Brac Institute of Languages.