Diwali. The festival of lights. A time to celebrate joy and prosperity, light up fireworks to burn off evil and eat yummy sweets, all while being around people you love.

Except this year, we’re in a global pandemic. 

I love Diwali to no end. Every year, we clean the entire house until there is no speck of dust to be seen. My mom makes a plethora of delicious food, my dad hangs bright lights all around the house and we call all of our friends and neighbors to share food, light hundreds of fireworks and forget about all our worries for one night. 

A few changes had to be made this year. 

The lights are in some dusty old box in our garage, and we weren’t able to invite anyone to our home. In the night, it was only me and my parents in our driveway with a handful of leftover firecrackers. 

I’ll be honest, I was a little sad that Diwali wouldn’t be as fun of a celebration as it always is. But this year, I learned to appreciate all of the little things about this day that I often overlooked in the past years.

I still woke up to the sound of the vacuum cleaner whirring in the living room, the smell of turmeric, cumin and coriander cooking in the kitchen and the warmth of the flames of the diyas being lit around the house. As I washed my hair in the morning and put on my new shirt that my best friend gave me as a Diwali gift, I took extra time to appreciate it.

I also took the time to watch my mom prepare the food. As I watched her knead the batter with her hands and roll it. I realized how much effort it really takes to make each roti the same size and shape as the one before. 

I have never noticed this before. 

I even went with my dad to give my mom’s preparations to all of our friends. As I placed the wrapped plate in each person’s hands, my heart softened. It was like I could see the smile under the mask, which made their eyes sparkle. Some even let out a playful chuckle, and it was music to my ears. Who would’ve thought that the simplest of actions would bring so much joy?

Before I even realized, the sun set and the fireworks lit up. The bright colors of the sparks and flames gleamed under the dark blue sky. 

It was so beautiful.

Though it was only me and my parents, we still had so much fun lighting all the different types of fireworks. Our neighbors were in their own pods of groups and did the same. We exchanged smiles six feet apart, but our connection felt so close. 

This year taught me that the festival season is more than having grand celebrations and extravaganzas. It’s about spreading love, light and joy to those around us. We don’t need fancy parties, but warm hearts to make Diwali the special holiday that it is. 

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