I’m an annoyingly optimistic person. For me, every bloody cloud has a silver lining. Given that, there is only one word that’s been churning in my head over the last few months.
When I remember 2021, that word has been gratitude! I agree, the year was terrible for many. & I’m, in no way, trying to take away their anger or grief. But one of the coping mechanisms I’ve figured out for myself is to look at the bright side.
And while a part of 2021 tried hard to suffocate me, I gasped & gasped till I found air again.
First & foremost, I was grateful for the health of my parents & my loved ones during that difficult year. My parents got the damn COVID in April. This was at the peak of the second wave.
At this time, almost everyone we knew was either down with COVID or was affected by it in some way.
I was thankful that almost every one of these folks recovered. For my parents, I was thankful for the vaccinations. Vaccinations had already been done for healthcare professionals and people above 60 years of age.
I was grateful for my own health in 2021. I took a total of 27,40,394 steps, averaging 7,500 steps per day. I walked 2,039 kilometers. I climbed 761 floors. I burnt 11,26,607 calories.
And I lost 7 kilograms. My only aim has been to make myself healthy enough. I want to make sure that when I’m old, I can stay independent. I also want to still travel the world.
One of the things I was more thankful for was taking up jogging. It was, of course, a physical barrier but more than that, it was a mental block. I now jog 200m but hope to amp this gradually.
I was grateful for being capable of reading 33 books in 2021. My gaming & Netflixing time reduced significantly which, probably, helped me read better. Additionally to these 33, I also managed to finish the 2020 backlog.
My 33 books of 2021 below –
I was grateful for traveling in 2021. Travel looked bleak for some part of the year. Nevertheless, when the sun shone again, I managed to sneak away nine times. To Kalakho, Agra, Renukaji, Kasauli, Naukuchiatal, Ranikhet, Mumbai, Taradevi & Patna.
Most were sightseeing/ chilling trips but also a couple to meet family & friends & to attend a wedding.
I was grateful for being capable of writing 24 blog posts. It seemed lousy to call myself a blogger. In my defence, I had been doing other kinds of writing that year. My blog garnered 4k+ views, 2.7k+ visitors, 100+ likes & ~40 comments.
I was grateful for having got a chance to start work as a freelance Editor for Aankalan, an EdTech startup. It gave me a chance to do business writing & get back to earning a wee bit.
I was grateful I got a chance to catch up with quite a few family & friends. Thankful I got to celebrate anniversaries, birthdays & festivals with loved ones.
I was grateful I got vaccinated against COVID. I knew fully well it didn’t save me from getting the darn virus. Still, it would save me from becoming critically ill. It would also save me from dying! :D
