Hopes & Wishes

When the whole world is witnessing COVID-19, new cases and fatalities globally are rising by the hour, a whole generation is living through, perhaps the word pandemic in a century & the gloom and doom of markets...what is it that is still keeping us alive in this crisis? That is forcing people to stock up food and essentials? That people are still planning for resuming work, meeting someone and perhaps even going for a vacation in a month or two?

HOPE. It's one thing more infectious than the virus. It's a thing which we need more than a vaccine.

We all are preparing ourselves to face the reality only because we are hopeful. Leave the current situation aside, isn't hope of a better future keeps driving us all the time! A daily alarm is set because we are hopeful we are going to get up the next morning. We are working day and night sometimes aimlessly only for a better future, because we are hopeful we will be able to live that future moment. In every single action we do, there is a hope.

Like others, I am also trying to be hopeful, that these times too shall pass, but then a silly thought of an apocalypse crosses my mind every now and then. Because every possible news that you can see or read is just about this damn virus ! In the midst of this thought, my phone beeps to tell me that there is some positive news about a 103 year old fighting with this disease and recovering well. News about percentage of cases rising in China has drastically reduced. And then suddenly I am hopeful again, No it can't end so soon. We still have to witness some good times ahead.

Fate has its plans that we can't change. But that aside, my mind starts to tell me - what if we knew already, that the end is around the corner? What wishes would you like to fulfill? I start searching my wish list. And when I scroll through, to my utter surprise a lot of items have lost its relevance. I don't find a single wish I want to fulfill. Why? Bungy jumping, that dress, stuff? Really, no! Travel, may be yes, but can't!! After about almost two weeks of Corona outbreak in the city, and looking at people struggling for survival, medically or financially for daily wagers, I am almost sure I want none of it, fulfilling all those fancy wishes from my wish list will not give me a pleasure, perhaps will make me feel guilty.

So what is it that I really wish for? My mind suggests, Live simple life. Speak to your kith and kin, may be do a micchami dukhdam where it's needed. Be kind and do some good. Show enough gratitude and love unconditionally. And there is far more to it. Perhaps these testing times have given me enough food for thought for how do I wish to spend my rest of the life! And I am hopeful of having a long and healthy one!