Looking at the bright side
ENTERING quarantine for a period of 14 days can be quite daunting for anyone, but to do so with three children ranging from 15 years old down to 7 years old would certainly make it interesting.
This is the situation I found myself in over the last couple of weeks and it is really a mental attitude of deciding - is the glass half empty with a negative outlook or is it half full with a positive outlook.
As we speak the rules and regulations on quarantine requirements for the pandemic are being relaxed as some states in Australia where my quarantine is being undertaken are now trialing seven-day home quarantine, which likely will pave the way over the next few weeks to rules changing to no enforced quarantine
After departing from a great flight on our national airline Fiji Airways, we arrived in Australia and smoothly entered quarantine at a dedicated hotel. I was pleasantly surprised to be given a large two bedroom, two bathroom and two balcony apartment to spend the mandated quarantine period in.
This was indeed a blessing for one adult being accompanied by three children and I am extremely grateful to those arranging such facilities. Once we were settled into our accommodation I was over come by a sense of calmness never felt before, in fact it was quite liberating.
During the first few days, there was a real feeling of connection maybe reconnection of my human spirit. Waking up early in the morning was a beautiful experience and watching the sun rise slowly which led to bright sunny mornings, and then warm and relaxed days. Having the balconies was a great advantage as sunrise and sunset were spectacular on many of the days of our stay.
Actually I don't want to sound too zen, but the experience was certainly a reflection on how truly lucky we were to be living in this safe and comfortable environment during this time. The internet connection was a little troublesome during our stay so communication was a little restricted, but even this couldn't dampen our spirits.
All things considered, we don't actually need much in life to sustain our human spirit, love of our children, food, water and some comforts like a hot shower, warm environment and life is good.
Reflecting on the outside world were greed, envy, desire for more and more, it does seem so trivial compared to listening to the birds in the morning.
Getting up early around 5am watching the sunrise then leisurely preparing breakfast for three hungry children, then organising study patterns and cleaning the apartment before the day even begins was very enjoyable.
It certainty makes me appreciate all the parents, guardians and carers who work so hard to look after and nurture other people with love.
Interesting, after watching the news and seeing what is going on outside in the world, staying in quarantine gave me a sense of being extremely safe and not having to deal with the daily negative onslaught of murders, deaths, robberies, and civil unrest that fills the news channels on a daily basis.
This was an awaking of my pursuit to continue to try and live my life with love, compassion and forgiveness towards others and this stay certainly reinforced and reignited my commitment to continue on this path.
Finally, I will leave you with 5 tips to enjoy your stay in quarantine:
■ Have a daily routine to follow that makes the day, fulfilled, fun and interesting;
■ If you have children, be patient and be loving because if they are happy, you are happy;
■ Use the time in quarantine productively, have time to yourself and also all those pending assignments you didn't get time to do, you can tackle now;
■ Speak gently and lovingly to everyone, as this is not a time to have any type of conflict with loved ones. In fact raise your levels of kindness and patience; and
■ Enjoy your time while in quarantine. There are so many amenities available, internet, cable tv, books, meditation, indoor exercise, movies and the list goes on;
I believe going through a quarantine period is like anything in life, it all depends on your attitude on how you are going to deal with it.
Again, is the glass half empty with a negative outlook or is it half full with a positive outlook.
In my case it is definitely half full and this has enabled me to thoroughly enjoy the experience with my loved ones in a safe and secure environment.
Adios amigo's from The Land Down Under until next week. is a freelance writer. The views expressed in this article are his and does not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper.