We’ve all been through a difficult year, which has tested us in numerous and unpredictable ways. 
Several people say that “Lockdown was boring”, “Lockdown made me half-mad” and “I suffered l much during the lockdown”. While agreeing partially with these statements, I must say that the lockdown has taught me so much. Being at home taught me numerous good ways.
Most importantly it is to be patient. The best example is: waiting patiently for my Wi-Fi to work.
In the first few days of the Wi-Fi issues, I started getting annoyed over the network system, I panicked, blamed my sister (assuming she had over-used the Wi-Fi, which she actually hadn’t done).
Later on, I realised that at specific times, when most people use the Wi-Fi, it can get stuck, and take time to process. Therefore, waiting for the Wi-Fi to work, is the best situation that has taught me patience.
Secondly, spending time on hobbies. With more time on my hands, the lockdown inspired me to discover, or rediscover, my interests. Spending time in the garden, listening to more music, blogging, singing, reading, and cooking helped me to navigate the boredom of the pandemic.
Not only can enjoying a hobby help pass the time, but it also reduces stress, improved my mood and helped me identify the talents I didn’t know I had.
Last but not least, the lockdown helped me to learn to be grateful. Every breaking news I watched, taught me how much I am blessed.
Blessed with food, a house, a great family, a school that provide online education and finally that I was safe from all the Covid-19 danger.
Every day, there would be an update stating the number of persons affected and how many had lost their lives because of the virus.
I learnt how to be grateful for every little thing that I had. Most importantly I was thankful, that I wasn’t affected by the Covid!
That way, the lockdown taught me so much that I can’t fit into an essay of just a couple of words!
Amritha Vijayananth
Grade 9,
Methodist College,
Colombo