Outside My Window

Rain Lilies in bloom

2020 has literally made every breath we take, count!  Globally each one of us is struggling on daily basis with sea changes in our lives. Time is telling us there's no place for pettiness in this calendar. So make sure you Live,Thrive and wish others get to do the same.

Many have lost lives and livelihood. Loss of loved ones has taken a toll on everyone's psyche. For the most part human kind has responded sensitively and much kindness. Worldwide people  are in need of psycho-social therapy like never before to deal with this massive shift. And this we have done completely instinctively. Resilience has been the operative word in 2020.

As there was no blue-print available to anyone on how to cope with a challenge of such magnitude or scale it only reinstates my faith in humanity. People responded beautifully, more importantly, very organically. Scientists across the world are working day and night to create a vaccine to save our futures. Doctors and health workers are fighting a battle to save each patient with as much care as possible under the overwhelming conditions not caring about their own risks. Musicians, painters, dancers continue to keep us motivated and inspired through at home performances to online streaming.

Nature bore us gifts like never before. The air quality improved significantly as vehicular pollution went down record levels. After 30 years in India people could see the Himalayas from foothills of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. It was a marvel to behold.

My story of rewards too began with bird songs like everyone else across the globe. The "new normal" ushered in bird songs like never before. Everyone took more notice of their feathered friends living around their homes and backyard under lockdown conditions. Scientists and conservationists studied if the birds were really calling louder or was it our perception that made us hear the bird songs more deeply? After a study undertaken at Heathrow or Gattwick Airport and comparing the charts pre and post lockdown it surmised that the birds are actually singing at a lower decibel. So, indeed for once we are paying more attention to them than we have done before. So, now I can identify the calls of Red-vented Bulbul, parakeets, sunbirds, Mynah and others who are daily visitors in my garden. That's a very good thing I say! 

Almost globally the singular response to initial phase of shock and lock-down made us look around our quiet green friends. Yes, along with the birds the house plants came to our rescue like never before. People sought refuge in earth, seedlings, composting and grew green fingers overnight. Flowers to vegetables all were eagerly planted, nurtured and shared across social media to mainline media. Articles ranged from anti- virus plants, air-purifying plants, growing without soil, decorative plants, grow your own food and so on. 

I too was one of them, the first movers :D. Just a year into gardening on my balcony with moderate results I started spending couple of hours everyday early in the morning with my plant babies. They just responded to all the love and care with equal generosity and thrived like never before. The mutual fondness and happiness we shared in the morning hours was blissful.

Gardening gave us hope that we craved for. It told us patiently, "Yes, life goes on and thrive my dear because now is all you've got." Little did I know how true that will be. One day as I stepped onto my balcony over a tea break last week I Red vented Bulbul landed on right in front of me and chirped in her voice. Please don't come any closer as my little ones are sleeping. My amazement knew no bounds.

 

I peeped and found three little fledglings nesting in. All were being cared for by the nurturing duo Red Vented Bulbuls. The Mother and Father through out the day brought food for the little ones and stood guard. Other birds such as Sunbirds and Mynahs visit with food to see how the little ones are doing. I keep watching their endless banter. After seven or ten days they bore wings and found the confidence for life's adventures on tree tops.

May you all too have a bird's eye view of our beautiful planet called Home this weekend. Happy weekend folks!

Photo of Dhauladhar ranges courtesy internet, rest Pragya Majumder