Covid and the tiffin break, literally!

Covid and the tiffin break, literally!

By Monisha Rastogi

The Covid pandemic hit us all very hard. It took all of us by surprise. Everything turned topsy turvy. Travel plans went for a toss. Celebrations were postponed and life suddenly took an unexpected turn.

Sanitisers, masks, social distancing, quarantine, soon these words became a part and parcel of our vocabulary. We have gradually made peace with this virus and have begun to live life with limited means…..The New Normal ????

But whatever miseries we all have gone through because of this virus, one thing that brings a smile on my face is the thought of School Tiffin.

Don’t know about other moms, but for me, this has been real bliss.

The very thought of Tiffin has always put deep lines on my forehead and the selection process has been tougher than preparation for any entrance exam!!!

What to put for the next day Tiffin in my child’s lunch box has always been a herculean task. Choosing a dish with a perfect blend of nutrition and taste, without comprising on creativity and novelty, is not everyone’s cup of tea… at least not mine!

It involves a lot of dedication, especially when every afternoon after school, you get to hear what other friends had got in their Tiffin ????. Those lunchtime conversations between my son and me were actually meant to instil a stench of guilt in me for not giving tasty delicacies in the tiffin box.

Being a teacher by profession, my morning hours have always been busier than a bee, and most of the times I have ignored my children’s request and worked according to my convenience – though healthy stuff was never comprised.

Sometimes the mother in me did prevail and I did pack some wonderful finger-licking stuff as well. But, to be honest, it was only rarely.

But the closure of schools all of a sudden gave a big respite to mommies like me.

First, it was a nice pleasant break from the machine-like routine … snoozing of alarm button was put on a halt. There was a respite from the early morning chaos.

The March Menace actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise. And this was followed in April and of course the rest of the months in tow.

Online classes were, of course, a new challenge … but we ( teachers) all managed to row our boats well with our oars of knowledge and adaptability.

What I liked most about this scenario was the break from thinking and cooking the mid-day meal for my child … THE TIFFIN BOX!

The day started with breakfast and fruits proved to be of great help during mid-session hunger pangs. It was such a relief not to cook any Tiffin kind of stuff… neither for me nor for my son.

At least I am enjoying this Tiffin break, literally. 

And though I am looking forward to meeting my students face to face, the very idea of the morning hustle scares me. 

Someone rightly said – Every cloud has a silver lining.

This break from Tiffin planning and preparation is the silver lining in this dark cloud.

Isn’t it always good to see the brighter side of life?

Let me enjoy this sabbatical from Tiffin planning …..

I’M LOVING IT

For me, it’s truly a TIFFIN THERAPY amidst this gloomy covid scenario.

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