May, 2021 Gratitude

“When eating fruit, remember the one who planted the trees” Vietnamese Proverb

This month was a difficult one, with COVID infections on rise and death tolls increasing, we had a lock down partially giving us four hours in the morning for completing our work and getting essentials and to step out only when necessary.  Everything was unpredictable, some of the people we knew are no more, still others are grieving for the lost ones, every day listening to problems faced by common man, at the same time  the weather too has become unpredictable, there’s cyclone in certain parts of our country. We have survived this month and grateful to be able focus on the positive side of our lives.

I am thankful that despite the situation, we can still work from home, responding to calls and managing the office work at home, most importantly we are paid while I see so many have lost employment, business has gone down it’s a blessing to have paid work.

 I am glad to volunteer for a psychosocial counseling telecounseling facilitated by the police department for this month. I agreed to commit myself for an hour everyday.. There were so many calls related to fears, anxieties and insecurities due to the pandemic. My cell phone was the busiest this month, not only telecounseling, office related calls and other calls wherein I volunteered.

 David had to go alternate days for few days and later on it was once in 4 days and recently there was notification that 33 percent of the staff need to attend work. I am thankful that he is working and reaching home safe back every day.

 Dorothy had online classes till 15^th of this month; and later on she was busy with the college choir singing and recording the songs, contributing for the college magazine, and in the parish facilitating for a video on hope with the youth group, she keeps playing the keyboard and paints in her free time. I am grateful that she has enough to do and is busy everyday..

I am thankful that myself and Dorothy could take some time out to play carroms almost every other day; and had lots of fun, some days my nephews kids join and it becomes  a celebration, these are small joys I cherish in life and it is destressing to be involved in playing with kids.

This month my brother Francis and my sister in law, sagaymary celebrated their wedding anniversary, a journey of 40 years, we thanked the Lord for his faithfulness and cut a cake and celebrated, grateful that we can still have some small celebrations in life. Thankful that my brother who was finding difficult to walk, and had some discomforts is now better and is improving and it’s a miracle that he started walking around in the house. Appreciate my nephew sunny who does everything in taking care of his father, giving him bath daily, giving medicines on time and ensures that he is occupied and happy.

Dorothy attempted a chocolate cake and this time it was perfect and I am happy for this learning and grateful that she is able to do things on her own. I tried to make macaroni for the first time for my breakfast and enjoyed.  I always prefer south Indian breakfast and never attempted pasta/macaroni at home, sometimes I feel good to experiment and change the routine by trying a new type of breakfast.

This month for  the festival of Ramzan David’s friends sent us the traditional Hyderabadi Biryani with special sweet dish, I am grateful for the gift of these relationships for they never forget us every year, for almost two decades on this day  I never cook lunch. This year despite the lock down by 10 a.m in the morning they sent us hot delicious biryani; and I feel blessed to have thoughtful persons. In the evening hours our old auto driver comes with another sweet dish J in a way we did celebrate Ramzan.

I had a couple of virtual meetings with my friends who are also my classmates, and there was one friend who learnt to set up zoom and the other friends encouraged – it was such joy to watch the excitement as she joined on zoom for the first time.. We had fun catching up with one another and updating ourselves about our well being especially in this pandemic.

I am grateful that despite the lock down, we could still celebrate mother;s day with all other ladies at the YWCA and I was happy to remember my mom, and recall her with gratitude share what I loved about her… and it was meaningful experience to also listen to others  who shared through a poem, some sang and still others had a write up with images of their mother.

I am blessed to have praying people around me as I keep connection with my near and dear ones, I am assured of their prayers as I keep praying for everyone and hoping that this too shall pass.  There is so much to be thankful for – we still have people who serve us, the newspaper person that comes everyday, the person who gets the milk, the vegetable vendors at the door step, the banana cart and being the mango season, there’s plenty of mango’s around sold right at the door step.

How was your month, would love to hear from you,

Be Happy, Be Safe & Be Blessed!