Naah! This blog is not about strong digestive systems. Nor is the first word a typo. Let’s get that outta the way first!

So, we made paani puri at home today. With those instant kits doing the rounds of supermarkets since the past year. Chaat, and street foods of all kinds.

Even YouTube blew up with street food recipes. I have started making gola (shaved ice with flavouring) at home these days after watching those videos. I always used to post photos of my dishes on insta but post the pandemic, everyone let out their inner chefs, cartoonists, writers (I write since I was in school), etc.

So what has this got to do with resilience you ask?

The pandemic is a serious situation, if you look at it. Leave the opportunism and politics and religious fanaticism out of the equation – we have on our hands a real global problem. It is life and death. I have lost people to it. I am sure many who are reading this are also mourning their own loss.

Despite all the pain and tears and death and disease around us, we are surviving each day. Employers who kept insisting that their type of work cannot be done from home have been brought to their knees. Business have shut. Employments and incomes lost. People are drowning in debts.

But at home, we are playing small games with our kids in between video conferencing. Making meals at home more interesting since we can’t go out anymore. Bringing out the stashed away, dusty easel and paintbrushes and making art, typing away at breakneck speed and publishing novels.

That’s resilience. Across the globe, humanity refuses to give up hope. We refuse to give-in to a deadly virus. We fight. Day and night.

We can’t meet each other, so we have video calls with friends and family. Weddings are attended on video calls, with guests sitting wearing shorts inside their homes, full face of makeup, some visible jewellery, and a just a fold of heavily embroidered pallu draped over the shoulder to make the hosts believe you are wearing a saree.

Birthdays and baby showers are celebrated inside each person’s own home with a laptop camera connecting us all.

We clink our drinks on our laptop screen, cry tears of joy and sorrow over the smart phone screen, have laughs and hilarity on video calls.

That’s resilience.

Today a friend made a typo while talking of her minor problems. She typed Priblems. And I had an idea. Let’s start a movement. Let’s unite in our resilience.

Problems shall henceforth be called Priblems. Small and minor priblems will be called priblets.

The resolution is passed. The resilience wins.

Dear fellow beings – this priblem too shall pass. We are together in this. We will surely come out of it stronger, better, more human than ever.