One year and two weeks ago, that is on January 27^th, an event occurred that completely turned our lives upside down. Some may say for the worst, and others may say for the best. On that day, the first case of Covid-19 in India was confirmed. Immediately, our country imposed a two weeks lockdown which at first felt very vacation-esque. Starting from Dalgona coffee to other different TikTok challenges (which clearly did not age well) and trends, none of us had realized what we were about to face yet. 

Soon, we fell into a spiral of uncertainty. None of us were sure if the world would ever go back to normal. Would schools reopen again? Would people be able to go to work like they did before? Was it the end of small scale businesses? We had zero answers for the longest time. But like we all realized last year, a crisis is like a big mirror in the face- it reveals the real us. This in turn teaches us so much about ourselves, our lives and our surroundings. 

Mainly, we learnt that life is adaptable. No matter how well you plan, no matter how tirelessly you work, no matter how well you follow your vision of morality, there come events which test the very essence of your soul. These events rarely are your own creation, and when you survive even situations which were dire there is no guarantee that another event will not come about which surpasses whatever we have seen before. Plans can change and things may not work out in the way we had previously planned it but life still works out in the end. In fact, we make life work out by adapting to our situations. 

Another thing we learnt and are still learning is how to deal with our feelings and mental health. Especially during the lockdown, without getting to do the outdoorsy things we would have wanted to do to enjoy ourselves or even distract ourselves, we were forced to deal with our mental health which helped us to come up with healthy ways to deal with it. People have different coping strategies- some will scream it out while some will shut themselves out, and yet others have other mechanisms. And it’s okay to not to be okay.

Another important thing we all learnt the hard way last year, is to live in the present. We all learnt very quickly that things and people can be lost and everything is uncertain. This is why we should be grateful for everything and everyone we have now. Like they say, expect the unexpected!

Patience is not passive; on the contrary, it is concentrated strength. Patience might have just been the biggest and most important thing we all have learnt last year. The youths of this generation are always in a rush to move to the next phase of their life and accomplish more and more, which is great until they start losing hope if some things do not go well. Social media is to blame for that. The idea that we have to be successful within our early twenties is so bizarre and puts an immense amount of pressure on us. But thanks to the pandemic, we have learnt to be patient with ourselves and life. We paused. We stopped and waited patiently to survive through this. We still are waiting.

This waiting has shown us the brighter side of us, the humankind. Resilience in times of adversity, is a stepping stone. 

The next thing we learnt is that our health should be the priority for anyone living on this planet. No matter how rich or popular you are, you just can’t buy health. And the earth is full of diverse creatures. Today we are facing corona tomorrow might be something else. Survival of the fittest was, is and will be the only principle not only on this earth but for entire universe. Not only police forces and doctors, but each and every people from vegetable vendors to people working in laboratories all are part of life which we have been ignoring. It’s the time to understand and respect each and every worker irrespective of their fields. And continue to respect them even after this bad time elapses. 

COVID 19 has been the most exemplary case of nature healing in the absence of human intervention. Lack of pollution, less waste production and less toxic waste disposal into nature has improved the health of the environment by leaps and bounds. The Antarctic Ozone Hole which has worried scientists for decades is now healing at a rapid rate. Water quality in lakes and rivers are improving at drastic rate. Air quality is improving in metropolitan cities. This pandemic has taught us that Nature is the ultimate gift of life and it is our sole responsibility to look after it.

Self discipline has also been a very important lesson we have learnt. Exercising, reading, learning new skills, waking up early and other forms of self care are the most essential things to live a disciplined, healthy and happy life. 

The uninterrupted digital connectivity of today led us not to stay monotonous. Somehow we found opportunities and solace. We found happiness in small things and learnt about people and communities from all around the world with the help of social media and the internet. 

The war is far from over. The problems are incessant and never ending. Still the invisible bond of unity of humankind held us together in the time of distress. The knees are broken, but still we’re working and moving forward with our heads down and back bent. And that’s what provides me hope on this humankind. The race which will keep on finding solutions to defend itself until completely wiped off. Together, we can survive.

And this is what is worth living for. 

Aiushree Mukherjee; Mysore Institute of Commerce And Arts