Tangled in Memories: Breakthrough to the Time Treasure

Quarantine got me thinking of the simpler and voluntary “fun” stay in home times. Staying in home was cherished, I looked forward to the weekend, a time where my family would be peacefully lounging in the living room watching Big Boss, or having a deep conversation after dinner about philosophy, art, mythology and politics, while eating the last bites of the yoghurt, playing carom, stressing over the IPL cricket matches.

Calmer times are missed, but what is truly hidden in those times, is the purity of emotions, reactions, and the fleeting feeling of staying together, eating together. Co-dependence was natural. Living under one roof, with a few quarrels, unlimited laughter and the least possible usage of cell phones got me through my teenage years.

One can only miss those times spent in ones home town, before dreams take flight, and when work, education, eventually life takes us to different destinations. A span of time being alone, and then liberation strikes, and so does the need to be independent, vicariously independent.

One can only talk about those memories, cherish them, capture them in pictures, post them on social media with a simple caption of “TBT” but also embracing a deeper attachment to the people itself in that memory. It is safe to say that one not only misses the past times, and the times spent but most importantly those loved ones in it, the reactions, the words they said, the emotions they portrayed.

Currently, living under the same roof as my parents and my brother, I have realized, the day to day routine, even though stressful at times, will be missed and cherished in the distant future. So as we steadily move towards the end of the year, which has been a roller coaster and probably the most lagging year for many and myself included, let’s all be grateful to the moments spent together with the loved ones as we are still blessed to do so, as time never stops.

2020 has made me realize, I as a person in all my entirety, catching feelings, running after my dreams, being and pursuing all I can in this lifetime, that all the people around me, everything breathing is moving forward in their lives with the same energy and speed as I am.

So, take a deep breath, log out of Instagram, stop swiping, scrolling, and swiftly moving from one social media platform to another, and call your parents, your friends, your loved ones who are away and talk, share what made you smile today, share the immense happiness you feel when you talk to them, confess your feelings to your special ones, text or FaceTime, make videos and pictures and send them to your grandparents, share the happy moments in memories and pictures and relive the past “YOU” in those times.

While reading this, hopefully it’s sparks what was intended, a feeling, a person, a memory that needs to be cherished a bit more today. A humble request to efficiently use this rapidly fast-moving treasure of time, not only to get ahead in life but also to reach out to the support system from time to time.

And remember, sometimes looking back at the past, is eventually, a blessing in disguise.

Captured in my art above, is my parents master bedroom on our second floor in our row house in Pune, India. Mom gently massaging my head with the warm hair oil, and the deep seated aroma of Parachute hair oil reaching my heart on every level possible. My sister patiently waiting for her turn, and my brother helping my mom by handing out a comb.

Togetherness was destined to clear the easily solvable issue of those simpler times; the very robust tangles in my hair.