Farewell, 2020! by Afifa Imran

Farewell, 2020!

As the year of excessively sanitising our hands comes to an end, my biggest goal for 2021 will surely be not to get freaked out when someone coughs near me.

Just yesterday, I was eating breakfast and started coughing. My mother rushed towards me and started feeding me ginger paste, honey, and black pepper with the conviction of curing the unknown! She declared an emergency in the house, plus a coronavirus diagnosis on me. Later, she was found reciting Ayat ul Kursi, while I was found forcefully shoved into my room to self-quarantine. Though thankfully I could make sense of the situation and croaked, “Mumma, the bread choked in my throat,” so that she can calm down and it miraculously worked.

Although most desi families will miss cleaning the house thirty-three times a day, I am sure in 2021 the cleaning will go down to the normal ten times a day.

My journey through these months of lockdown made me realise the importance of a stable internet connection, honestly, without it, I would have been stuck in the stone age.

Since the time I was supposed to meet my friends in school was replaced by dreary days of doing assignments at home, I realised how often we take the smallest things in life for granted.

I miss being in school, sitting without having a fear of being too close to each other hoping that all of us will make up for the times we weren’t able to spend with our loved ones in 2021.

I’ve learned to become a better friend and ensure that I am just a call/message away from them 24/7.

2020 has helped us become more emphatic individuals and I completely agree, this year was filled with pain, loss, and suffering.

I’ve learned to care more and to say a silent prayer for every human in need of it.

2020 has strengthened my belief in the purpose of my life: to live a life in service of others whether it’s just talking to them for their well-being.

Though 2020 was tough, it also brought out the best in all of us as everyone worked to deliver groceries, teach children online and conduct fundraisers for those in need.

Let’s not stop.

Pay it forward.

I hope I can do all the things I wanted to do. I have yet to make a to-do list for 2021 because there are a lot of things left in my 2020 list and if it’s the same for you, it’s okay.

I believe it is totally fine to just stay in one place, to hold your strength together and have patience and faith in the future.

Here’s to next year, I hope it’s filled with light, success, good health and healing for everyone.

—