Corona Diaries - 23

Aren't we all sick of corona already? Don't we all want our lives to be back to normal again? Should we let our guard down and socialise and mingle without being cautious? Believe me, I'm as sick of it as everyone else, but I can't. I really wish I could but I can't. The main reason is that I see the complications. I know what happens when people let their guard down. Their family members are dying. I've heard the most horrific stories. A grandfather passing away after attending his grandchild's birthday. A husband dying a few days before his wedding. A doctor passing away days after the birth of his child. We're all so sick of this, we're sick of the bad news and disappointments. We need something different. We need some good news. A vaccine is on the way and I hope it will put an end to this nightmare.

Today I will write about something else, away from corona and this silly pandemic.

Happiness

Happiness can mean so many different things to different people. Happiness may mean surrounded by people to one person whilst another person may be perfectly content being alone. Sunny days may be associated with happiness whilst I prefer the cold and rainy days. Nothing makes me happier than putting on layers and layers and going out for a walk in the freezing cold, whilst walking in the cold might make someone else completely miserable. Happiness may be in certain food or a certain scent that brings back beautiful memories. Let me tell you some of the things that make me happy.

Family

My family is the most important part of my life. My family is the true source of my happiness. Having a father that adores me and brothers that love and respect everything that I do is a true treasure. I have been blessed to be raised by the greatest mother. She taught me everything I need to survive in this world before leaving us early. My mother showed me to be kind and good and supportive to my loved ones. Losing her was the hardest thing that I've ever been though; and am still going through. Nonetheless, I'm blessed with three diamonds that light up my days. I can't even imagine my life without them. When you truly love someone, their happiness means more than your own. That is the case with the three men of my life.

Kindness

Seeing true kindness in people. People still surprise me. We are so used to dealing with rude and unappreciative people, especially in a hospital setting, where relatives and patients are supposed to be appreciative and decent, however in more than 70% of the cases they really aren't. Dealing with rude people has become something we deal with on a daily basis that we become defensive automatically. However that is not always the case. Sometimes you find good people. The goodness in people is a truly beautiful find. Genuinely kind and good people still exist in the world and we are truly blessed when we meet them or better yet truly get to know them. I'm very blessed to have genuinely good people in my life.

Kindness doesn't have to be shown by a huge gesture. Kindness can be in the smile to a passing stranger. Kindness is saying hello to the people that clean the roads and acknowledging their existence. Kindness is offering water to a stray cat. Kindness is in adapting the little things we do every day in our lives through small acts. Don't underestimate the power of a smile or a kind word.

Conversation

Good conversation makes me happy. Meeting new people and having long conversations with them is one of the true pleasures of life. I listen more than I speak and I enjoy finding out what makes people tick. The way people converse tells you so much about their upbringing and way of life. It tells you so much about their manner and thought process. The older the person, the better the conversation. I love having conversations with the elderly in the ward, you learn so much from their experiences. There's so much more to happiness than materialistic pleasures. People are the true pleasures in life.

Friends

I have been blessed with the most beautiful friends. My friends have become more than family. Working in the hospital means that sometimes you spend more time there than you do at home. This makes you know the people you work with on a very close level. You see them at 3 pm and then again at 3 am. You find out things about them that they might not know themselves. My closest friends are the ones that I have made during my rotations in hospitals all over Kuwait. My friends are a true blessing and their happiness makes me happy. My friends' families have become my family too.

Happiness is:

cloudy skies

Hasan

the first sip of bitter cold brew

cuddling up on your favorite sofa with a good book

folding clothes straight out of the dryer

dolphins

hugs from your favourite person

museums

excited medical students

running in the cold until you're out of breath

shopping with Ali

seeing plants that you've planted grow into trees

riding airplanes

poetry

the high after a good workout

clean surfaces

painting

good music

smelling flowers

running with Akeeks

patients improving

theatre

videos of pandas playing

woolly jumpers

runny poached eggs

justice

watching good shows

rereading your favourite book

furniture shopping

London with Ali

laying on freshly mown grass

libraries

conversations with the elderly

hot chocolate when its snowing outside

Aberdeen

jumping on trampolines

brunch

birthday cakes

organising things

oversized hoodies

fairness

walking in the rain

baby elephants

ballet

breakfast dates with friends

travelling

M&S freshly baked cookies

finishing a book in one sitting

umbrellas

Make a list of your own.

What are the things that make you happy?