Being away from family is one of the hardest parts of growing up. While at first, you enjoy the independence and excitement of living on your own, the fond memories always kick in. As it did for me…
Like most people, I suffered bouts of loneliness and anxiety while living in a rental room away from my family. With a pandemic raging in our current world, going back home wasn’t even an option for me! I had never been apart from them for so long and was getting used to living with a roommate in a rental room when Coronavirus hit.
The final straw was when my sweet younger sister graduated from an Ivy league high school this year, and I couldn’t even be there to celebrate it! The entire family was by her side since they all live nearby. It felt like I was missing out on the most critical parts of their life, and I wasn’t going to let it stay that way!
Living in the 21rst century has its disadvantages, but the silver lining is that the world has become a smaller place. You could live miles away and still experience the love and affection of your precious family and friends. When I miss my mother’s delicious cinnamon apple pie, I go on and video calls her to bug her with a thousand questions! That’s the thing about family. They’re here for you, no matter how far away you go, how busy you get, or whatever circumstances you are in. In the words of Michael Jackson, “Family is not an important thing. It’s EVERYTHING.” I feel this sentence in every fiber of my being too!
Lucky for me, before I hit absolute rock bottom, I started to research ways to incorporate family time, even after being in a rental room, 1200 miles away from them! Here are 4 ways in which you can connect with your family.
1. Send them their favorite dessert
For me, food plays the most significant memory in life. One bite of my neighbor’s home-made cinnamon rolls can transform me back to when I was 12, bundled up against my lovely father on Christmas Eve, and eating my favorite dessert from his own hands. A pandemic doesn’t change my love for familial food, so I add a little twist to it.
Nothing beats home-made delicacies!
Now and then, when my family least expects it, I send them some warm, mouth-watering treats to let them know that they are forever in my thoughts. You see, my best friend has a quaint little bakery back home, and I take her help to shower my family with the best of the best!
2. Tech-lessons
Being in a rental room with a busy schedule leaves me little or no time to help my aging parents with new technology that they haven’t figured out how to use. I gifted my parents a brand new mac-book on Easter to video call them whenever I wanted and see their heart-warming gorgeous faces! Since I couldn’t sit down and give them a tutorial, I sent them detailed voice notes with step-by-step instructions in case of any difficulties they might face when they try to call me.
They call me six times a day now, so I guess it works!
3. Challenge them to new games
My three siblings and I LOVE playing video games. When the quarantine period had just started, there were only a few multiplayer games around. Many companies have now stepped up to make a lot of fun games for uniting friends and family stuck away from each other. Uno, online escape room games, Among Us, Catan, and Fifa were some of the games that we now play whenever we find the time to relax and catch up!
4. Movie night
Movies were one of my most cherished memories. As a child, I remember that my parents would set up an exquisite open theatre in our backyard on Friday nights, and we would all laze around and watch movies and eat hot-dogs till midnight! After I started living in a rental room in New York, movie nights became a distant memory.
Use new innovations resourcefully!
Thanks to the Netflix Party mode, we can recreate the atmosphere of real-life movie nights while being safe in our own houses.
That’s a story about how I got back in touch with my family, and now I never feel left out or lonely! Use technology for all the advantages it has and never spend another day away from your family! Be right back, Mom is calling!