It’s been more than a year since the pandemic started. In 2020, all of sudden life took a U-turn and things changed completely. It is surely true that life teaches us lessons in unexpected ways.

Due to the pandemic, there was a lockdown and because of that, there were many ups and downs. Many people lost their jobs, many small businesses closed down. And above all, people’s mental health went for a complete toss. Also, cases of child abuse and domestic violence were on the rise. Flash forward to 2021 and poof – everything changed for so many people due to the second wave!

Although 2020 was a difficult year for everyone but the anxiety and mental trauma which few months of 2021 brought is on the other level altogether. So many people lost their lives, many lost their loved ones and many are still fighting the battle to come out of this deadly disease. A few days back, one of my younger daughter’s close friend’s father passed away due to complications because of Corona. I cannot explain the feeling when she told me about it. It was shocking but I can’t even imagine what the family must be going through.

This is just one story but there are so many more where either child have lost their parents or parents lost the kids. A close friend lost both her in-laws within a few days and it hit close to home. Although I didn’t lose my parents to this deadly disease but lost them a few years back and can completely relate to the feeling of losing parents. As they say, life teaches you lessons in unexpected ways, I realized it too after I lost both my parents.

So, I am not writing this post to share sad stories or to share data about how much we lost in the last few months. I am writing this to share a few life lessons that I learned and feel it’s important to share, especially at a time like this.

  1. Life is unpredictable and no one knows what’s going to happen next moment. This is the biggest lesson I learned after losing both my parents. Something changed in me after I lost them both. We worry so much about small things which won’t even matter a few years from now. Both my parents worked hard all their life but now when we are all settled in life, they are not here to enjoy this time with us. So, the moral of the lesson – take each day as it comes and live it to the fullest. You don’t know what’s going to happen next.
  2. Slow down and don’t rush into things. Enjoy small moments, celebrate even small wins and events, and stop to smell the flowers now and then. This pandemic is a reminder of how precious this life is and let’s slow down to be grateful for everything we have. Appreciate small things. I am grateful for all the texts, calls, and messages from my family and friends while we cannot see each other in person.
  3. Count your blessings – Most of us have this habit of cribbing what we don’t have instead of appreciating what we already have. I know it’s easier said than done but think of all those people who lost their loved ones. Ask yourself this question – Is there anything more important than good health? You are the luckiest person right now if you and your loved ones are healthy and doing fine.
  4. Do not take people who love you for granted – Before the pandemic, I am sure many of us would have taken human interaction for granted. Sometimes we keep on delaying meeting our loved ones and keep on making plans to meet but that never happens. It’s important to take out time to meet before it’s too late. Also, once things get better, plan a holiday. Take that trip which you always wanted to take. Buy that dress you always wanted to try or the food you wanted to eat! Life is short! Enjoy while you can.
  5. Let it be – Last but not least, it’s important to let it be! It’s ok to let things be the way they are without worrying about them 24/7. Don’t be hard on yourself. Ask yourself this question – would it matter after a few years from now? It’s ok if the house is dirty, it’s ok if the dishes are piling up, it’s ok if you skipped laundry for a day or two. Also, it’s ok if kids are not doing exactly what you expected from them.

Let kids enjoy little extra vacations for a change, let them watch little extra TV, let them sleep for some more time if they want to, and let them complain if they do not like something. Life goes by very fast. You won’t even realize and they will be all grown up ready to leave the nest.

We worry so much about our kids’ future that we forget to enjoy the present with them. Who knows what the future holds? Stop putting undue pressure on them and worry more about their mental health. Read this article about how to take care of kids’ mental health in the pandemic.

Stop spending time on things that won’t even matter later. Stop planning and start doing! If you agree that life teaches us lessons in unexpected ways, do comment and let me know your thoughts.


I am writing this post as a part of the cause – Mental health and this post is part of Blogchatter’s CauseAChatter . Also for the initiative #UnitedWeCan which is a way to share uplifting stories of COVID recovery, ways to find comfort in the little things we have control over.

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