List-making in the time of Corona

Lists are so calming to make. Especially in times like these when we can see no end-date to the difficulties that we are facing. My bullet journal is now being filled up with lists of different kinds. Permit me to share just a couple of them with you today.

Things that I am absurdly grateful for, in no particular order:

1. Kerala's healthcare system
2. My family's health
3. Being in the country side at a time like this
4. Having lots of space in and around the house so that none of us feel confined
5. Having our Lab Goldie who keeps the boys fit and active by chasing them around the house in the mornings and evenings
6. Having children old enough to not to have to look after and entertain all the time
7. Having children young enough to still want our company at this time
8. My to-be-read pile
9. DH having a job that allows him to work from home so that he is kept busy
10. Amazon Prime Video and 6 unseen seasons of Downton Abbey
11. My craft stash and projects
12. Kunjunni just finishing his board exams on the day all CBSE exams were suspended
13. Copy-editing clients who keep me on my toes and help me use my brain for things other than worrying about the news
14. Daily evening guided meditations on the Art of Living YouTube Channel
15. The Government of Kerala that is leading from the front in this fight
16. The Government of India that is leading the fight nationwide
17. Friends who are reaching out
18. Our neighbors who are keeping the curfew beautifully, yet keeping in touch

I shall stop here, even though the list is incomplete...

Things I hope never to take for granted once this nightmare is over, again in no particular order:

1. Going to the library
2. Visiting friends and family
3. Planning and taking small trips
4. Eating out
5. Walking through the market
6. Taking bus rides
7. Going to my favorite stationery store and browsing through all the products
8. Grocery shopping
9. Being able to pop in at neighbors' houses
10. Online shopping
11. The healthcare system
12. Going out without having to wear masks and carry hand sanitisers
13. Our public parks, museums and beaches
14. The freedom to roam

Every difficulty is an opportunity to learn new things, to re-calibrate, to open our eyes to things we have been ignoring or suppressing.

If the virus had not manifested itself, we should have been in Bangalore today, on a four-day trip. We cancelled our tickets long before the government suspended all travel. We gathered groceries and put ourselves under lock down three days before the government declared it. Everything is alright in our little corner of the world. 🙏