It was a Saturday! I woke up and saw Aaliyah was all quiet. “What happened, Aaliyah? All good?” I asked.

“Bob, I miss traveling and being surrounded by nature. I miss reading while basking in the sun. Every summer we go out and have so much fun, this year is so different! I am feeling a bit low!” she replied.

“We can enjoy nature even now!” I replied. “Really? But how?” she asked. National Hammock Day is here! I took out the old blue hammock which was folded and kept in one corner of our balcony and asked Aaliyah to come down.

“Bob, are you planning to hang it?” she asked. “Yes! Time to cheer ourselves a little with cozy set up,” I replied.

We quickly tied the hammock to the two adjacent trees in Mrs. Bradley’s garden! “Now we can have a good time reading in the sun or swing in the evening cool breeze. Right?” I asked. “Oh yes!” Replied an overjoyed Aaliyah!

It’s been three days now, Aaliyah and I are lying there and reading our favorite books. We are enjoying the sunsets together while sipping our cold coffee. It’s also become my favorite spot to pen down my thoughts. Kong too loves getting a belly rub by lying on it. It’s like we have found our way to enjoy a vacation!

One doesn’t always have to run away to a new destination to uplift their spirits! Appreciate nature, inhale the sweet fragrance of the beautiful flowers, take a walk through the path of fallen leaves in the garden, finish a new novel or just wake up early to cook a special breakfast for the family! Invest your time in such simple pleasures and experience the real joy from within.

So what if mountains are calling and you can’t go out this year? Let that be for some other time when the world has healed!

The current pandemic scenario requires us to stay home and safe. Let that not be a reason to stay upset. Let’s cheer ourselves up with the little pleasures!