Namaste Guru Corona ...... ( Really? You gotta be crazy man)

Different people are currently experiencing corona’s effect differently; a curse, a threat, a break, a headache, a nightmare, a joke and so on with their thoughts running wild and their emotions definitely dwelling at the top of the peak. It took me, a stream of “I am dead bored" messages from friends, Twinkle Khanna's article and a news report on the increase in harassment and depression cases to understand the toll that this pandemic is taking on the people. However in a way corona has become our greatest teacher. Don't think I am a hypocrite as I first lament about the virus and then go on to justify and defend the very same. To make my whole argument credible and to ensure that this isn't a bad joke, I would like to present three ways in which the presence and influence of this virus is becoming a valuable lesson indeed.

Reason Number 1: Corona is proving to be stickier than fevikwik. Believe it or not, the pandemic has made the world a much closer and a cosier place to live in.It has achieved what technology has been struggling to accelerate all these decades. Family lunches, video and conference calls, board games, movie and TV time etc. are all just a jest of this. Families are coming closer as they finally have the time to listen to each other's worries, understand their feelings and most importantly this is advancing to be a period where we are learning to acknowledge and appreciate, two qualities whose presence was seldom felt before the pandemic.

The people of the world are locking hands, helping each other to overcome their issues, uniting despite their varied differences to face a common threat .Most importantly we are being by one another’s side and acting as a support system in the darkest hours. Thanks to this pandemic, we have a huge family spanning across different continents to look up to. Thanks to this pandemic, Earth has become a joyous and a lovable place to live in.

Reason number 2: Corona is pulling us outside our nutshell. Who knew that Deepika Padukone could bake tasty pizzas for lunch or that king Kohli is a monopoly champion? Corona is acting a mirror in a way repeatedly pointing out and showing us our inner reflection; our potential and our capabilities which we have mostly only undermined all these years. People are now becoming more committed to their hobbies and are building up their varied talents. Dancing, singing, chess, yoga, coding, writing, painting are some of the activities which have been on the rise and this is refreshing and rejuvenating to do. We also have the time now to think and contemplate about the way our life is going on, make thoughtful decisions something that was absent all these days.

Quarantined life isn't so bad after all though it is definitely a new concept and a weird experience for a country like ours. In this rapidly evolving world where people's lives move at the speed of a bullet train, this corona is a semicolon; a short yet a fruitful break to start something new. Also thanks to this virus, kids and spouses are finally contributing an equal share to housework, we are finally paying importance to the daily wage and casual workers, grocers, postmen, corporation officials, vendors and we all have come to understand that there is dignity in each and every work that we do and hence no profession can be underestimated or undervalued.

Reason Number 3: Corona is taking us back to our roots. In ancient times, whenever a person was sick, he/she was isolated from the rest of the village, was given treatment in a closely secured and protected ward in the outskirts and the attendant was also not allowed to come into contact with anyone until the patient recovered. History reveals that the Greeks followed this practise strictly with an isolation period of 40 days and catholic churches maintained separate colonies to prevent the spread of leprosy during the middle ages. Not just this, the idea of eating consciously, maintaining personal hygiene and cleanliness and involving in household chores has seen a resurgence and these were certain small practises which we had long forgotten or abandoned due to the modern lifestyle amidst which we currently dwell.

However I feel that the most important quality which we have imbibed during this period is the art of prioritising. This just doesn't mean allocating our time responsibly to do the various activities or carefully planning our day to day schedule. On the other hand I feel people are finally able to see the aspects of life that truly matter to them and those unwanted elements which like weeds needs to be consistently pulled out at the early stage itself. I admit that it is becoming one of our toughest tests but isn't it in humans' blood to accept the most daring challenges and defeat its identity and roots?

Let us understand that this virus is just another obstacle in the long, winding road of life.

The entire thing lies in first how we view this obstacle and second how we push it aside.

I would hence like to end with this amazing quote. Though it is quite long, every line truly matters to all of us. ( it is trending in social media currently)

When this is over, may we never again take for granted

A handshake with a stranger, full shelves at the store

Conversations with neighbours, a crowded theatre

Coffee with a friend, the school rush each morning

The stadium roaring, life itself.........

When this ends, may we find that we have become

More like the people we wanted to be

we were called to be

we hoped to be.......