As crazy as 2020 was, it’s even crazier to think that we have been quarantining for a year now. What was going to be a two-week vacation from school soon transformed into something that none of us had anticipated. The past year has brought out the best (and sometimes worst) in us and also in those around us. Not only has quarantine been a period of self-reflection and growth for people, but the time off has allowed many of us to understand the relationships we have with the individuals we have been around recently. For me, I have spent the most time with my family this past year. Being around them has allowed me to mature in ways that I never thought, and I have learned equally as much about what makes each member in my family unique. For example, I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed making cinnamon rolls with my cousin, who is actually better at baking than I thought, or how fun it was to play chess with my brother, who surprisingly beat me every round.
One of my other favorite memories that I’ve made with my family this year was revisiting our past by looking through our old albums. On Friday nights, we would pull out our projector and look through pictures and videos from past vacations, events, and gatherings. I didn’t realize how much younger my parents, close relatives, and cousins looked just a few years ago, and this realization made me value the time I’m spending with them much more. Due to COVID-19 travelling restrictions, it hurts to think how I won’t be able to visit my family in India for a while, but taking frequent trips down memory lane has brought me closer to my loved ones and has given me comfort knowing that I can still FaceTime my relatives anytime I miss them.
Speaking of video calling, I have also been using platforms like Whatsapp and Skype to stay in touch with my friends and family across the world. Before the pandemic, I never had the time to call my grandparents, uncles, or aunts because I was so busy with school and my extracurricular activities. I would feel so guilty for not calling them back, but now that I spend more time at home, I talk to them more frequently and feel like I’m doing my part to show that I care for them by staying connected.
Additionally, I was lucky to have had my grandparents (on my father’s side of the family) visit right as the pandemic started early in March last year. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to travel as much due to the lockdown, but over the weekends, my family and I would take road trips to nearby lakes and beaches. After staying indoors all week, it felt nice to get some fresh air, and being surrounded by the same people who have been there with me since day one made the trips even more memorable. Even at home, my grandmother would spend a lot of time in our backyard gardening, and I would pick up the neat planting hacks she would teach me during those hot summer days under the glaring sun. One of my fondest memories of her was when she would pull out the sewing machine and tell me to sit next to her while she taught me different stitching patterns. Spending more time with my grandmother over quarantine made me value her presence and I now look up to her even more as she has always been one of the many hard working women in my life. I could say the same about my grandfather, whom I always loved discussing politics with and going on evening strolls with at a local park. Out of my whole family, I can definitely say that my grandfather is the wisest and the most calm. Being around him also helped me understand how I can live a more peaceful life and not stress so much. Overall, I have learned a lot about my family these past months and although there aren’t many great things that come with a global pandemic, I have to say that none of these memories would have been made if it weren’t for a year-long quarantine.