In the midst of gloom, a beacon of light!

As we enter a frightening phase of everyday life with the corona virus wreaking havoc across the world, we are being bombarded with information about what it is, what are the do’s and the don’ts, what is happening around the world, the number of infected being added each day, the number of deaths, the random and frenzied responses of governments around the world as one nation after another closes down and goes into lockdown.

Several weeks of the times we never ever thought we would be part of or would see had led many of us to mope our predicament. Keeping in touch with friends over the phone and talking all our fears out seemed a reasonable approach. We shared each other’s woes of zero help at home, having to do all things from beginning to end, how routines of the day got merged into breakfast, lunch and dinner and more work in-between.

We grasped that each of us faced a similar situation with minor variations. My friends with little ones at home had a stranger problem to grapple with. After the initial days of excitement for the little ones of being at home and with everyone being there too….the delight and novelty wore off. They started to remember school and friends.

I heard them out and decided on making some interesting worksheets and games for parents to use.

Then I thought some more and got an idea to get cards made by children for all the Front-line Warriors and ask them to send it via mail to our mail ID’s. With like minded friends I had made a group a couple of springs back on the International Woman’s Day called the Wandering Dreamers. I planned this activity under its banner.

We sent out our posters which I made myself and via email and through the good offices of some dear educators and friends we furthered this idea far and wide in our city. Within 24 hours, the responses started pouring in.

And then the deluge did not stop…….950+ card by young students, kids of all ages with messages from the heart.

I printed them all out and joined them together to make perhaps the longest wish running into almost 500 meters. I got the whole bundle sent to the City Police Chief who did a small program for his men and staff who tire it out day in and night out. They found the messages and the cards a delight and an overwhelming feeling that as they worked hard, the small children of their city were thinking about them and thanking them from the bottom of their hearts!!

We as a group found the whole exercise so worth all the trouble!!!