It's okay to be sad.

It's the last day of January—4:24 pm. I decided to get out of bed, submit my work, open a fresh blank document, and type away something in the hope of breaking the vicious cycle of 'I'll do it tomorrow.' So, here I am with my laptop on my bed, a glass of water beside me, and a blanket to keep my legs warm. There are so many thoughts running in my head at the moment, and most of them are about getting over the looming feeling of sadness that is making me uneasy. I would like the feeling to knock at my door some other time. 

The voice in my head made some valuable suggestions to feel happy. It said, "Go hug your mom and little brother." And I did that for some oxytocin rush. Next, it recommended that I listen to fast music and run to feel the runner's high. My inner monologue is also nudging me to cook a delicious meal as the fix to this problem. I will not deny that doing these things will not elate my mood. 

Running while listening to lyrics like "You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow." or "I'm a survivor, I'm not gon' give up." or "Legends never die. They're written down in eternity.", does get me in the groove. Putting together a pasta dish, plating it in my favourite ceramic bowl, clicking a beautiful photograph, and finally sitting down to share the meal with my brother brings me immense joy. 

However, today, I learned a new way to get over sadness. At lunch, we were watching YouTube, but nothing was amusing enough. After starting and closing a few videos, I decided to fall back on 'Oswald,' an early 2000s cartoon series I loved watching in childhood. After scrolling past the popular episodes I have rewatched multiple times, I reached the ones I had seen fewer times. One of them, 'Autumn Leaves,' stirred up warm and fuzzy feelings in me, and I immediately clicked on it. And I am so glad of my decision because it taught me something important today. 

Oswald and Weenie were in their backyard, happily embracing the onset of autumn. While they were enjoying the leaf-fall, Henry arrived at his window grumpy. He was disappointed at the messy look of the backyard and decided to rake all the leaves into a nice and neat pile. He gathered all the leaves in one corner, beaming with pleasure at his excellent work. Just when he thought his job was done and dusted, Oswald pointed out the new leaves that came in with the wind. Displeased yet determined to keep his backyard clean, Henry entered the storeroom to bring a bigger rake. But when everything looked perfect, more leaves flew in, leaving his efforts futile. Looking at the situation, Oswald decided to help his friend, and after many attempts, the backyard finally looked spick and span. Not for too long, though—a sudden gust of wind toppled their basket of leaves. Henry angrily said, "Oswald, this yard is a mess again!" to which Oswald replied, "You know what, Henry, sometimes, you just can't clean up everything. But you can play and have a great time!". Ultimately, they all laughed and enjoyed the pretty red, brown, yellow, and orange-coloured fall leaves. 

The lesson I picked up from this story was that sometimes (or most times), you must accept the situation and move on if you want to feel at peace. The moment Henry accepted that he could neither change nor control nature's events and moved on from his want for everything to be his way, he felt less stressed and was able to enjoy the present moment. 

Its implication in my context meant that instead of resisting the melancholy, I should simply accept the feeling. It's okay to be sad. It's human to be sad. We are made to believe that sadness is a negative emotion, but if that were true, it shouldn't have existed. Of course, too much of anything is not good. Sadness for an extended period can mean depression, and that's concerning. But being in low spirits for a day or two is entirely okay. In fact, it's necessary. Because how will you appreciate the happy days in your life if you don't experience sadness? 

Happiness is a surely a more desirable feeling, but it is essential to acknowledge and accept the truth that you cannot walk on sunshine every day. 

So, rather than questioning, "Why am I so gloomy today?" I need to let myself be okay with my emotional state. 

"Yes, I am feeling sad today."

"Yes, I don't feel like doing anything today." 

"Yes, I don't wish to talk to anyone today."

The moment I accept my sadness and move on from my want to be happy, my headspace will clear out, allowing me to focus on other things. 

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It's Sunday, 4 February. Four days have passed since that day. Do I feel fine? Absolutely! Did the new way to get over sadness work? Yes, it did! Here's all the productive, creative, and fun things I've done since then: 

• I made a creamy mushroom and broccoli pasta. 

• I went birdwatching to the Maharashtra Nature Park with Ajoo. Finally!!! I spotted my lifer Indian paradise flycatcher. We spotted around 13 species of birds. 

• I returned my long overdue books to the BNHS library with Ajoo and Ananya. I shared Burmese Khow Suey, Parsi Chicken Farcha, and a decadent chocolate cake with them later. 

• I clocked a 5k run. 

• I finished my content writing work. 

• I made the Maharashtrian-style gawar ki sabzi.

• I made the Burmese Khow Suey for Sunday family lunch. 

• I completed and uploaded this blog! Woohoo! The curse of tomorrow has finally ended.

To sum it up, if you are feeling sad today, accept it, enjoy it, move on, and remember that happiness is bound to follow!