Down The Memory Lane! #Welcome2021BlogHop

Down The Memory Lane

Once upon a time when an old Grandmom Archana gets caught by her granddaughter and her friends to join their party in a cafe house. The moment was so emotional for Archana as her granddaughter threw a New Year Party for her friends. And the celebration was huge.

“Oh, my doll, what am I going to do at your party? You must be having so much fun with your friends. I am too old to fit in your gang; you can take your mother with you or yeah yeah, your dad with you.

“No, Grandmom, it is not like a disco-type party, you know even my friends are well aware of the fact that no celebration can roll up without my grandmom’s gracious presence. You know I have kept a special story session at my party decorum only on the demand of my friends as they love listening to you and your life experience.”

“Mom Please come na”,

“Divik you also”

“Yes, mom, don’t you want to fulfill your doll wish this year ? As this would be her party in this city by the next week, we all are going to shift due to dad’s and my business“.

“Hurray here comes Grandma Diya’s friends gave a big shout out seeing Grandma entering in cafe”

Diya and Diya’s friend held Grandma’s hand to be seated on a special chair decorated in a special corner.

“Grandma one story pleaaaasssseee” any life experience we heard you so many times, and every time you spark our greed to listen to you more and more.”One Of Diya’s friend urges.

Ah! Ok! My kiddos have your seats; today, I will take you down the memory lane of the deadly year 2020, the only year I have remembered; the excitement of its bid adieu was more than welcoming the new year 2021.

Down The Memory Lane

In the year 2020, when we were in the USA due to Diya’s Grandpa’s job. Our new year used to start with the celebration of Divik, my son’s birthday party. Like any other year, we celebrated it to the fullest by February, news of a deadly virus that started from China traveled all over the world was surfacing on all the news channels. Researchers named it Coronavirus.

It was merely a piece of intriguing news for all of us until the month of march approached. Holi celebration was on the card. And the time had come when the real fear of a tiny virus/coronavirus made entry to our mind and soul. My Son Divik’s olympiad exam was due to happen on 7th March 2020, and a day before, we got the news that covid-19’s first case has been found in our county/district. Many Parents choose to opt-out their kid’s names from the exams; whereas, I chose to make my kid sit in the exam.

But after that, in 2020, nature punished us with long-term confinement to our houses; the Government announced a complete lockdown in many countries. Not celebrations but yes gathering with friends and family was definitely become a dream on those days.

Grandma- ” You Young generation might get bore with the old lady’s super old story. I Will tell you in detail some other day; you go enjoy your new year party as the year 2020 stories are endless.”

Diya’s Friend – “Not at all, Grandma, you won’t believe some of us were only ready to come on this condition that Diya must get our Grandma ready to embellish our new year party with her interesting story session, so please go ahead, Nani.”

Grandma – Aww! Now you make me feel of Rose DeWitt from the movie Titanic! Haha!

So here we go, a tiny virus took over all the power of working systems nationally, internationally under its cruel clutch.

Cutting to short, sharing the two pointers to best describe the year 2020:

THE CHANGES

Grand entry of Masks, gloves, sanitizers, disinfectants to every house’s monthly grocery list. Steam, gargle, became the daily routine activity. The whole education system shifted to virtual learning, kids had shown the best of their patience. Sometimes really felt pitty seeing little buddies missing their playtime and friends. People become more conscious about their health. The practice of telemedicine came into existence as a great relief for general sickness. OTT platform came as a savage for the entertainment industry(of course, a big reason to make confinement a bit easier). Do not mess up with mother earth because you may have no time to stand back when it hits you back.

THE LEARNINGS

Many people had lost their lives and jobs in that year. A sudden layoff, salary cut-off made us realize that one must always have backup plans. Do not depend on a single income. Must contribute to nature within your capacity. Materialistic things that may excite you for a moment cannot be your persistent happiness; the real happiness resides in you and the persons that are yours only, “I am not saying this, kiddos, I have experienced this.” You can be the happiest person even in scarcity. Save yourself from being idle; yes, negativity works like a magnet to your brain in idle time. Always have a ready list of to-do things regardless big or small but must prepare. Because your mental health matters the most. Still remember our helplessness of not reaching India when My husband lost his dad due to Covid-19. How depression took our mind and body into darkness, and we decided to add at least 2 tasks to our to-do list after our working hours to escape from any negative thoughts. We started learning about seasonal gardening in the USA later; we turned our patio into a small garden, learned photography, and bought Bhagwad Gita to make sure we have read at least 2 pages with an explanation before going to bed. It really helped us to overcome our sadness. Be grateful for the things you have! And most importantly, count your blessings.

And the clock hits the number 12 Bingo! Happy New Year!!!

Grandma – “So kiddos no year is purely bad no year is purely good but two things are always in every year for sure and those are tell me tell me”???

Kiddos Altogether – “The Change And The Learning!!!! Right Grandma”?

This blog post is a part of the Welcome 2021 Blog Hop hosted by Swarnali Nath.

Copyright © Archana Srivastava

This article is the property of the author Archana Srivastava (archusblog.com). Any unauthorized use or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author is strictly prohibited.

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44 thoughts on “Down The Memory Lane! #Welcome2021BlogHop”

  1. Pingback: In The Memory Of Love: Valentine's Day #30ColoursOfLove #PetalsOfLove

  2. You weave such beautiful stories, Archu. Loved this take on the prompt. “Aww!! You make me feel. like Rose Dewitt of Titanic movie”. Loved that…and the way you ended it, two learnings from every year “The Change and the learning “. Beautiful story.👌🏾👌🏾

  3. Archu… you’re a storyteller. Grandmom reciting the COVID-19 story as an anecdote from yesteryears was pleasurable and remarkable!! Indeed it has been a tough period but grander beginnings await in the wings!! Kudos to your writing 🙌

  4. Superb!! I really like the super cute grandma… your writing style is really good. I enjoyed the write up so much that I read it twice. Thanks for for sharing…

  5. wow Archana. I am sure you will get a chance to narrate this story to your grand kids. After all, we have witnessed this whole pandemic. I am sure, you will be a super cool grand ma. – Alpana (www.mothersgurukul.com)

  6. Can’t tell you Archana, what a joy, it was reading your post ☺ I enjoyed the storytelling by Grandma Archana so much that I wish I was part of the party. Felt like a future forecast. I am sure we all will be having several 2020 stories to share. 😄 Wish you an amazing year ahead ❤

  7. I was so hooked to the story it seemed like I was already sitting in future. Loved the story writing. and most of all the Rose from Titanic anecdote had me blushing 🙂 sad things happened this year but we have to find happiness in all moments to make way for a better and brighter future for us and coming generations – Urvashi

  8. I am sure Diya and her friends would be very grateful to their grandma for giving them some insight into the biggest happening of the decade. I really hope they would learn some very essential life-skills to keep and carry forward the takeaways.
    Best wishes for a healthy and successful new year, Archana.

  9. Wow… That was completely a different look out.. I hope years after we get to speak of this time to our genX.. but till.then we have to extract all positivity from the time we have in hand, positivity within us and positivity from our surroundings. My best wishes for you for this new and hopeful year.

  10. So true, no year is purely good or bad. Grandma has surely given us some life lessons. It’s been an incredible year. Enjoyed the cute narration, Archana. Wishing you a great 2021! 🙂

  11. Beautiful story woven on the theme… Loved your take on the blog hop prompt. Wish you a very happy new year 2021…may it be filled with stories too but yes the non titanic or the non pandemic kinds 😊

  12. This is such a cute story Archana. I loved the weaving style and everything you have written here. The message you have conveyed here and the way you portrayed the current scenario of the world, something really great. Storytelling is a great powerful tool and you have used that here. Thank you so much for joining us in the blog hop. Grateful to you dear. I wish you a great year ahead. Best wishes always.

  13. Such an interesting recap of the year 2020! Walking down the memory lane so adorably felt so much more fun, with the positive thought that ‘this too shall pass’ and become history someday.
    You have imparted such important pointers and that too in an entertaining way. Enjoyed the post!

  14. It’s like we all imagine it to be. Tell our grand children about the strange year 2020. Lovely way of going down the memory lane, bringing to fore the changes and the learnings. Count your blessings! Certainly the take away.
    Best wishes
    Deepika

  15. Wow Archu …loved it! I had a smile through out the post imagining you as the Granny and narrating the Stories 😊. Such a beautiful way to capture the year 2020 along with the learnings ! You can be happiest even in scarcity . That made a lot of impact! Great post !!

  16. Anything with a granny in it goes into auto heart warming mode. You’ve described 2020 so clearly and we’ll! We’ve our share of battle stories now.
    Adding 2 tasks to the list after work can actually be used anytime. I like how you put it that way.

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