A year of uncertainty

Dear 2020,
You have been a fascinating year. Fascinating and unpredictable. Exactly a year ago, we were wishing each other happy new year. Little did we know, 2020 will be a demon with two faces, an untamed beast causing havoc and fear in the hearts of millions who ‘survived’ this year. I lost my people, someone lost theirs. We are all broken and mended over a span of 12 months.

Let’s talk about what are the things we learnt from you.

You taught us the value of being close to one’s family. It was not easy for people to get locked down away from home. I find myself lucky that I returned home on time. But everyone was not fortunate enough.

Let’s be honest, we used to take a lot of things for granted. You taught us to respect and value the little things we have.

You gave us some unprecedented heroes. Health care workers, police officers, government employees and all the other people who kept working during these difficult times so that essential commodities reach us. We will not look at them the same way, we used to before. They showed us the path of determination and devotion towards their work. Migrant laborers were helped to get back to their home. The work which should have been done by the government was done by individual heroes.

Personally, you taught me more about mental health than I have learnt ever before. It has been challenging psychologically to stay inside the house for a long time. Add online classes, assignments and anxieties to the mix and you get a proper recipe for a depressed day.When I say online classes and assignments contributed to the deterioration of our mental health, you may assume that it’s laziness. But no, it wasn’t laziness. The whole class can’t be lazy simultaneously. The whole class can’t develop backache, watery eyes at the same time because they are “lazy”.

Among all of this, the best thing you taught us, was to mend ourselves. You broke us into multiple pieces and we kept assembling ourselves everytime we broke. Times change and even people change but you taught us that people who really know you, will never leave. No matter how tough the situation is for you and for them. You taught us to identify the meaning and reality of friendship.

The time in future will never be the same as before. Be it in a positive or a negative way. But we have changed. We have evolved for good. And this will make sure, you will never be forgotten as a year.
We bid adieu to 2020, the most devastatingly favourite year we will ever know.

(PS: We request 2021 to not be jealous of achievements by 2020 and be remembered in history books. Please stay a sane year 2021)