The silver lining

RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE

Undeniably we are grappling with the most turbulent times in view of the anxiety-inducing spread of COVID-19. A virus that has thrown our lives out of gear. The first few days at home brought me a sort of respite from my gruelling work but panic had gripped the mind due to the swelling number of positive cases.

As days rolled by, this social segregation began to hang heavy on me and initial uneasiness had spiralled into anxiety. Though I have an extended family, much to my dismay what I observed at the domestic front was a tad unsettling. Kids would remain glued to their digital gadgets with not much exchange of ideas.

Undoubtedly, I have not been a cynic in my life but this time I had umpteen reasons to cast aspersions on our modern-day technological advancements. Staying at home all day long, I became witness to subtle changes in behaviour in modern-day kids.

My little daughter had grown self-centred ad nauseam. Realising the gravity of the matter, I resolved to avail myself of this devil sent opportunity of lockdown and enter into her closely guarded territory. But trespassers were viewed with great scorn.

The idea of playing conventional indoors games was downrightly repudiated by the child. Thus far I was in a sheer denial mode shifting the onus on the little child. However, partly the fault was on me-- during my hectic workdays, I hardly bothered to forge a close bond with the little one. Her working mother too was sailing in the same boat. Due to parental neglect, the child had withdrawn to her own ivory tower. Therefore, any advance from my end appeared to her an act of blatant infiltration. Cognisant of my blunder I made all ditch efforts to melt the ice of that unspoken resentment simmering in the tender heart of the baby.

Soon I was no more an intruder and she began to reciprocate my loving gestures. In the subsequent days, my daughter kept the cluster of her digital toys aside as I had become her evening time playmate and bedtime storyteller. COVID-19 induced lockdown has inarguably wreaked havoc on the economic condition of the world but every cloud has a silver lining. These vacant months taught me the art of real parenting and other key lessons. The moral of my story is loud and clear. Our children do not need a vast number of fancy toys. They need time with their parents.