Illustration by Chitra Mohanlal
This issue is about happiness. When writing a column about the pandemic and happiness I have two easy options: either I could write a fairly negative piece about how students’ happiness is decreasing and how everything sucks, or I could trivialize everyone’s negative experiences during this pandemic by ‘just giving a bit of perspective’ and pointing out how well-off we are living in The Netherlands, and how there is still so much to be grateful for.
I won’t do either of those. Or both, depending on how you look at it. I will give you a free pass. A free-pass to whine about not being able to go kiss a stranger in a bar, a free pass to bitch about the measures because you have to cancel your birthday party, a free-pass to feel bad, to cry, to scream: a free-pass to deal with this situation however you wish without feeling guilty because some may have it worse or because ‘you did not live through the World Wars’. I will give you a free pass by telling you how amazingly lucky I am.
I live with my parents and my sister. This past year I have been spending most of the lockdown with them. Now, you might think of quarantining with your parents as an absolute nightmare, but for me, it is not. My parents are the best parents one could wish for and this past year they have been very understanding of how hard it has been on my sister and me, having to put our lives on hold for over a year, and they have been trying to make the best of the situation. In the midst of a global crisis, we were able to make memories that I will treasure for the rest of my life.
Even though we are an almost disgustingly happy family, sometimes even we need some time apart. No problem: we have our own separate rooms with a Wi-Fi connection strong enough that we were all able to work from home without any problems (if I ever told you I could not turn my camera on because of a bad connection, I lied, I probably wasn’t dressed). And not only do we have separate rooms, we also have a garden. I haven’t been locked up in a studio without any access to the outside world. In fact, I have spent most of the first lockdown sunbathing in the garden, reading books. I didn’t even have to worry about maybe losing my job, as I do not have to pay any rent, college is taken care of and it wasn’t like I needed money to go clubbing anytime soon.
I did not lose any loved ones to Covid; nobody fell seriously ill with it. My grandmothers are both vaccinated, live close by and I can still visit them often. Nobody lost their jobs or livelihoods. My family and friends are healthy and safe. I have a close network of amazing people who I can always contact and who I know will be there for me.
I am extremely lucky and sometimes, I am unhappy. Some days I find myself crying in the shower or not being able to drag myself out of bed. Some days I don’t feel as lucky as I rationally know I am. I am positive that you, the reader, have more to complain about than I do. I am aware of my position. But pain and happiness are relative. This year has been hard for all of us to some degree and you are allowed to feel bad about that. So, if you need a free pass: here you go.
Illustration by Chitra Mohanlal
This issue is about happiness. When writing a column about the pandemic and happiness I have two easy options: either I could write a fairly negative piece about how students’ happiness is decreasing and how everything sucks, or I could trivialize everyone’s negative experiences during this pandemic by ‘just giving a bit of perspective’ and pointing out how well-off we are living in The Netherlands, and how there is still so much to be grateful for.
I won’t do either of those. Or both, depending on how you look at it. I will give you a free pass. A free-pass to whine about not being able to go kiss a stranger in a bar, a free pass to bitch about the measures because you have to cancel your birthday party, a free-pass to feel bad, to cry, to scream: a free-pass to deal with this situation however you wish without feeling guilty because some may have it worse or because ‘you did not live through the World Wars’. I will give you a free pass by telling you how amazingly lucky I am.
I live with my parents and my sister. This past year I have been spending most of the lockdown with them. Now, you might think of quarantining with your parents as an absolute nightmare, but for me, it is not. My parents are the best parents one could wish for and this past year they have been very understanding of how hard it has been on my sister and me, having to put our lives on hold for over a year, and they have been trying to make the best of the situation. In the midst of a global crisis, we were able to make memories that I will treasure for the rest of my life.
Even though we are an almost disgustingly happy family, sometimes even we need some time apart. No problem: we have our own separate rooms with a Wi-Fi connection strong enough that we were all able to work from home without any problems (if I ever told you I could not turn my camera on because of a bad connection, I lied, I probably wasn’t dressed). And not only do we have separate rooms, we also have a garden. I haven’t been locked up in a studio without any access to the outside world. In fact, I have spent most of the first lockdown sunbathing in the garden, reading books. I didn’t even have to worry about maybe losing my job, as I do not have to pay any rent, college is taken care of and it wasn’t like I needed money to go clubbing anytime soon.
I did not lose any loved ones to Covid; nobody fell seriously ill with it. My grandmothers are both vaccinated, live close by and I can still visit them often. Nobody lost their jobs or livelihoods. My family and friends are healthy and safe. I have a close network of amazing people who I can always contact and who I know will be there for me.
I am extremely lucky and sometimes, I am unhappy. Some days I find myself crying in the shower or not being able to drag myself out of bed. Some days I don’t feel as lucky as I rationally know I am. I am positive that you, the reader, have more to complain about than I do. I am aware of my position. But pain and happiness are relative. This year has been hard for all of us to some degree and you are allowed to feel bad about that. So, if you need a free pass: here you go.
