The Unforgettable Trip

2021 came after a year of turmoil, pain, death, disease, sorrow and anguish! We heard of the demise of so many known and unknown persons. We dreaded watching news channels or reading the newspapers because there was hardly anything positive to learn about. We saw mankind in the worst of his attitudes and behaviour. All the negative qualities from within got exposed – greed, avarice, selfishness, meanness and what not! However, the only positive thing was there were millions amongst us, who rose to the occasion, responded to the humane urge in them, served the society selflessly, putting their lives at great risks and many of them even laid down their lives. We seemed to be travelling through a tunnel that had no end! 

The first day after the lockdown was lifted, we ventured out for our simple evening walk, I felt so fresh and nice. After all, yes, there was light at the end of the tunnel! We could at least enjoy our small pleasures of grocery shopping, walk and visits to a few friends’ houses. The law of diminishing marginal utility really made sense! ‘Hey, God! Please let us live our simple lives! Never mind if we cannot fly across the oceans!’ was my prayer at that time. However, after things started returning to normalcy after September, I started yearning to see my son and daughter-in-law, who could not travel to India from Singapore after their last visit in January 2020. The daily calls and video music sessions were fine but can never replace physical nearness. 

 

When my son arrived on 30th November, I could not believe my eyes. Will it be so hard to meet our own children? How lucky were my parents-in-law, whose eight children were just a call away and could reach them in a maximum of four hours! I savoured every moment that I spent with my son, daughter-in-law, my daughter, son-in-law and grandson during December 2021. Though my daughter’s family live in Bangalore, the time that we all got to spend together was precious. To make this time more memorable, we planned a trip to a river resort just about 80 km away and all of us spent just 24 hours, away from the bustling city. It was a simple place, where we could just sit on the bank of river Cauvery, watch the varieties of birds and insects that visited the river, listen to the soothing sounds of nature without the hindrance of the jarring sounds of vehicles and watch my little grandson Eka enjoying the company of his entire family in the serene setting.  

The journey to the resort was memorable because Eka entertained us with his lovely music and innocent commentary of everything that he saw. I can definitely recall every moment that I spent with my family during the journey and at the resort, forever. I may have travelled to so many countries and enjoyed many beautiful places, but this trip of 2021 definitely is memorable in a very different way. It reaffirmed the value of togetherness, the joy of being physically near your family members and the amazing role of nature in making our lives meaningful and comfortable.