2020, a year that drew us apart but got us together

Good byes can be hard but for sure everyone is eagerly waiting to bid adieu to 2020 as it has shown us some of the toughest days we had never even thought we would see. 

While the start of 2020 was smooth, within 100 days, it put all lives at a stand-still. Covid -19 situation compelled the schools to shut down, offices made people work remotely, the stock market started bleeding and the world economy came down to its knees. With the 1^st case registered in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, the callousness of the Chinese Government and the indifferent attitude of WHO, the world failed to nub the spread in the bud and Health care development of the world was exposed when the developed and the underdeveloped countries both struggled to give proper health care facilities. 

Not only for COVID, but 2020 has shook the world, in a good way and more in a not so good way for many other events that took place. So let’s glance at 25 of these moments that will be a lasting memory of 2020. 

• Australian bush fire which continued from December 2019 into the New Year, burned nearly 43 acres of land and loss of enumerous lives of humans and animals. 
• 7th January was the day when WHO in China was notified of Novel Corona virus though it had been spreading since November 2019. 
• Megan Markel and Prince Harry denounce their duties as Senior Royal. 
• NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash. 
• Communal riots in Delhi claiming nearly 53 lives. 
• President Trump visits India- “Namaste Trump”.
• “Black lives Matter” sparked a protest to end police brutality and racial discrimination.
• Corona virus situation was declared a Pandemic by WHO after spreading in more than 100 countries by March.
• Janta Curfew observed in India followed by a National Lockdown. 
• 2020 Summer Olympics which were to happen in Japan was postponed till 2021. 
• Bollywood lost many prominent actors and celebrities. 
• Indo-China Skirmishes where soldier’s from both sides were involved in a face off including fist fights and stone throwing. 
• Citing the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, many skeletons from the closet came out in public and many celebs where named and arrested by Narcotics Dept. 
• Beirut Explosion sparked by an accidental detonation of 2,750 tones of ammuno nitrate claimed may lives and left many injured. 
• Uttarakhand forest fire which burned approximately 71 hectares of land. 
• World lost the Supreme Court Justice and a relenting advocate of gender equality, Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
• Cyclone Nisarga hit the Western coast of India causing damage in Maharashtra.
• India bans 59 Chinese apps including Tik Tok. 
• Floods in Kerela owing to sever rains during monsoons. 
• The sliding of Air India Express flight, which was also called the “Vande Bharat Mission” to repatriate Indian nationals stranded due to COVID situation from Dubai, took life of its both pilots and few passengers. 
• Foundation stone of Ram Mandir laid in Ayodhya. 
• Joe Biden becomes the new President of USA. 
• Indian Farmers Protest against the 3 farms acts promulgated by the Parliament. 
• Gang rape and murder of a dalit girl in UP, India. 
• Hyderabad Floods due to Deep Depression BOB 02 caused damage and loss of many lives.

And while the world was going through a tough time, we as individuals did many thing’s we never thought we did do in 2020: 

• Every Indians nightmare. No Maid: When we use to crib about house help not coming in for one day and we had to do all the work on our own, we spent 7 to 8 months doing the dishes, sweeping and laundry every day and said Bye Bye to Bai.
• Staying at home: We all want to step out and be with people but 2020 locked us in and not for a day or two, it made us a prisoner and put us under a house arrest. 
• Not Meeting Friends: I need my friends and never had I thought I would go on without meeting them for such a long long time but 2020 made that possible too. 
• No Touching: While I use to rush and open the door to welcome my husband home with a smile and a kiss, now I was standing far, asking him to take a shower and sanitize before I touched him. 
• No place to worship: Covid-19 shut the doors of all places of worship. This in a way was also good because people who thought God only exited in Temples, Churches and Mosques now worshipped at home. God is in us, if we have the faith and be good humans, God is pleased. 
• Everyone wanted to go to office: When we all wanted a leave or a break from work, 2020 made people want to step out even if it meant going to work. Anyways work from home can never be fun and infact is more challenging. 
• Home Schooling: As parents I never thought I would go for home schooling that too for two kids and here we are, from city to village, every child is sitting in front of a gadget to get educated. 

Covid 19 has taught us many things in life and one of the most important one is that while we aspire, we should not take mother Earth for granted and should introspect on how we treat our planet. 

2020 has been a year of bad news as it got the short end of the stick. It didn’t see any good globally and while the world is waiting for a vaccine and an end to the COVID situation, everyone is more than happy to bid adieu to 2020 and welcome 2021 with some apprehensions and more expectations.