Second wave of COVID-19: Realisation & Recovery

A true story by Himanshi Tripathi.

“Bitterness was everywhere. Partial knowledge and panic took away my ability to sense and act initially. I was feeling very helpless. There was nowhere to go for help. There was no solution other than to wait and wish for everything to turn positive soon” says Aarav, whose father had tested COVID positive a few weeks ago.

It seemed that life was slipping away from his hands and there seemed to be no end to his misery. But this is not about him, this is a note of gratitude for his father, whose positivity & resilience showed a ray of light and an onwards path to all of them.

A few weeks back, after Aarav’s father’s oxygen level was stable, he was suggested to be in home isolation by doctors for a speedy recovery. During this time he had displayed a lot of inner strength, which was so inspiring and uplifting.

The impact of his positivity on Aarav’s mind was very well timed, as he was already struggling with too much chaos in his professional life. He had unfortunately got laid off from his job recently. His company was based in Gurgaon, Haryana. Since then he had been full of anxiety about his future and family responsibilities. To add to his miseries now, his father, who was fully vaccinated , was suffering from coronavirus, something they were not prepared for . In all he didn’t have anything positive to think about.

His father is a retired professor and they are a family of five members who are financially supported by both of them.

With all possible precautions, his family had lately got exposed during a relative’s marriage, giving way to the virus. As the relatives lived in the neighbourhood, his family couldn’t ignore the pre-marriage functions. Social distancing was not possible at such places, let alone COVID-19 precautions.

His elder sister was also supposed to get married this month, her preparations were also in full swing at home, but her wedding was put on hold due to their recent experience. With this crisis around, they were left with no other choice than to wait. It also proved to be a good decision for the family in the long run.

But the best learning from this period was pretty unexpected. They figured out that “Togetherness was the best ever medicine to heal & help recover,” It is only when they were sticking together as a family( Physically, mentally and emotionally)were they able to combat this crisis. Aarav’s father also made them realise that building patience from within would always bring forth an ideal solution.

“It was interesting to see all the family members come together during this mental crisis and bond together over activities. It also helped me rejuvenate.We had always heard about the merits of wellness practices from our father, but never had the time or intent to indulge in them.” These were non priority things sometime back for most of them. As guided by his father during this period, they found their peace by practising early morning yoga, breathing techniques, meditation that gradually increased their ability to communicate in silence, self introspect and that also brought mindfulness, much needed at this time. He had made this mandatory for everyone, everyday.

Besides this they also at times, in the afternoons, were guided to engage themselves in fun indoor activities like playing antakshari, ludo, sudoku, reading old classics, magazines, writing etc. The times almost brought back childhood summer break memories. The screen time was reduced considerably as they were enjoying their interaction at home. The last year’s ‘work from home’ due to covid, had not given him that opportunity at all. In fact it was more stressful than usual office work.

This time due to a stable mindset, they were also able to remain cordial and connected with their friends and family too. That is when they realised that inspite of all the possible negativity in the environment, togetherness can really help you heal. It also helped them overcome the feeling of fear and uncertainty. They knew that they had each other’s back at the time of any crisis.

But all of these findings came in gradually. When covid19 had initially struck their lives, all the family members were irritated to the core because of the unprecedented series of events with a sense of helplessness. Irritation, stress, anxiety and mood swings made things worse.

Little did they realise then, that one loses the meaningful relations and precious bonding in this terrible state of mind.

This is erratic human behaviour.

If the near and dear ones wanted to know about your whereabouts, this is because they are concerned about you. But when your mood is off you tend to ignore all their efforts. It felt like interference. Little do you realise that the concerned people also have their own lives. They also have their responsibilities towards their families which they are obliged to fulfil. They still are willing to take out time to check upon you. One should actually feel blessed to have such caring people around.

For this feeling to come through one needs to keep knocking at the inner zen often.

Finally Aarav’s sister’s marriage is rescheduled later this year. His father is recovering and the family is gradually gearing up to prepare for the wedding. He too is utilising his time in hand to upgrade his professional skills.

It is not only about Aarav’s case. Many of us are going through the same situation.A flow of emotions is common when life pushes us to a corner, but give yourself a pause and think twice.

The process of recovery is not only meant to be physical, unless it’s supported by mental and emotional well being.

Stay healthy, healed & blessed!

You can reach Himanshi Tripathi through our blog site. Do like, share & leave your encouraging comments below.