59: THANK you 2020….. NO Pyjamas!

When I think of 2020, I have so much to say and I’m grateful to this platform Humansof2020 that gave me this opportunity to tell my story.

Amidst all the uncertainty chaos and confusion regarding the pandemic, I am thankful to God that my family was with me and we were able to stay safe and stay healthy together.

Because our company operates in the IT sector, we were quickly able to convert many challenges to opportunities. Everyone was frantically setting up to work or study from home. Our team was able to help these companies and children that didn’t have access to laptops / desktops due to the short supply in the market because of the pandemic.

I’m also fortunate enough to be a part of a business network that was an immense support system for me both physically and mentally. Together, we made the best of the lockdown period. I still remember how various fellow members of the business community would challenge each other to various workouts such as the longest plank, fastest 100 crunches, the most number of burpees – the list goes on. It kept me moving, kept me going and I was motivated to stay fit even though most of the world was lounging in their pyjamas all day and Netflixing the life out of themselves! There was never a dull moment thanks to this incredible bunch of networkers who turned out to be my extended family. Each one tried to do their best to ensure we all had the best of times together, even though we could only meet virtually. I salute them all.

But most importantly, I am thankful to 2020 for getting my husband and me on our beautiful journey of meditation. I must say, that the reason for us to begin this journey was really unfortunate. My father-in-law was hospitalized in the midst of lockdown because he developed pneumonia immediately after he arrived from Mumbai. Just as he was recovering, we discovered that he was struggling with an irregular heartbeat, which was a big blow to us all at home. I distinctly remember speaking to a friend of mine during this period enquiring about the health of my father-in-law. She realized how low I was feeling. She suggested that positive vibrations within the household could help more than any medicine could. My first reaction was – how bizarre! I remember thanking her for making me laugh (the Lord knows I really needed that) because I never believed in meditation.

But when I hung up the phone with her and shared her suggestion with my husband, I was taken aback! He, who had never considered anything remotely spiritual responded, “Yes Sandra, when is the best time for us to do this?” Still stunned, I told him that my friend suggested 5 am, to which he smiled and said “The alarm is SET”. From then on, we’ve been meditating until today thankfully. We enjoy that time together and we look forward to it every morning before we start our day.