BENGALURU : I hate November. It is the worst time of the year. The worst.
The festive season is over. The inevitable crash that follows the sugar high from one too many jangiris and badushas hits you. Everyone is sick thanks to the ‘change in weather’ (someone please explain that to me) and the long Diwali weekend has extended into a never-ending sick week. The air is filled with the sounds of hacking coughs and enthusiastic comparisons to phlegm. “Amma! See! Mine is brown!” I’ll pass, thanks.
There is the realisation that the year is almost over. But not quite. Somehow, ten months have passed by and you’re not quite sure what you were doing as they breezed through your life. Laundry. That’s what you were doing. Social media wants you to share your achievements, the goals you set, the big ticket items you knocked off your 2019 ‘to-do’ list. Did you write your novel? Bike through the Andes? Sail around the world in a rubber dinghy with your two-year-old twins? You know what, not everything needs to be big and grand. What about the smaller things in life? That’s what really matters. Have you been mindful enough? Has there been enough self-care in your life? Are you eating healthier? Did you achieve work-life harmony? No? Still angry at the world, are you?
Perhaps 2019 was the year of working on your parenting skills. You mastered the art of saying “I understand how you feel!” calmly to your child and meaning it. Really meaning it. Not while screaming invectives inside your head. You found your parenting inspo in the animal kingdom and are now a certified preying mantis parent.
You eat your spouse so that you can no longer birth any more children. Too gruesome? Perhaps you wanted to envelop your family in coziness. Did you embrace Hygge, Lagom or Ikigai? No? Oh! Did you at least Marie Kondo your underwear drawer? Swedish Death Clean out of consideration for those you love? It’s the least you could have done. Never mind. Let’s bring things back to you.
Have you learned to say “No!” and avoid burn-out? Or have you said “Yes!” to every request that’s come your way, inviting delight, adventure and making 40 mini pizzas for a class party into your life? Did you split the mental load and stop worrying about everything all by yourself? Sure, you’re living in darkness because your partner hasn’t bothered to get new light bulbs, but hey, that’s good for the planet, right?
As you scroll, like and double tap your way through other people’s achievements, you can’t help but think that yours seem small and insignificant in comparison. But oh! What’s that you hear? Friendly exhortations that it’s not too late to turn things around! After all, we don’t need to wait till January 1 to bring change into our lives! That’s so 90s! Do it now! This very instant. And then take a lovely photo and use this hashtag to win a scented bullet journal so you don’t screw up in 2020. Fine, you can wait till after lunch. Don’t forget to take a photo of your plate okay. Before you eat.