The corona virus has translated into different things in all of our lives – whether it simply means screen time plummeting through the roof, or having to deal with more serious matters such as death. For me, quarantine has turned into a time where I’ve learned more about my family than ever before.
Take my sister for instance. We’re really close, but I realized I didn’t know a whole lot about her hobbies, interests, or even just life at school in general. On the last day of school, I dropped my bag at the doorstep and immediately went over to my room, sulking. In about an hour, my sister came into my room and started singing a short poem about why I should be happy during this time. Only then did I find out about my sister’s love for singing and writing poems, something that I had been oblivious too for the longest time.
Ever since we moved to Chicago from India, my breakfast, lunch, and dinner has been a variation of Postmates, Caviar, and UberEats. My mom, similarly to all of us, has been at a loss for what to do during this indefinite period of time. I’m a late sleeper, so I entered the kitchen as soon as I got out of bed during lunchtime, only to find my mom cooking. The spices filled the room with a strong, familiar scent that I drew back to my childhood. As my mother cooked, she told me stories about her mother’s food, and the recipes that she taught to my mom. And right there was another little gem I picked up from my mother’s life.
Lastly, my father. During the school year, I hardly get any sleep – and I never remember my dreams. Over these last few days, however, I’ve been able to remember my dreams from nearly every night. My dad and I are really close, but it hit me that I don’t know any childhood stories about him. I plopped up next to him on the couch, and talked to him about the dream I had about my home in India the night before. He beamed as he told me about his home in a village in Chennai where all his dreams still take place, and the nostalgia he wants to feel by going back home one day.
This time’s really hard, and many don’t have the gift of being with their families during this time. Treasure them, and take this time to stumble upon your origins, hidden stories, and fun things about your family that you never knew about before.
Kia :)