YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO MUCH TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, SAYS AMIBEN MODI

Jyothi Venkatesh

Spritual healer Amiben Modi says that the lockdown has taught everyone a lot. She adds that she has understood that it doesn't take much to help others. "Having a lot of time and doing little with it has always made me anxious. After a week of doing nothing, except spending time with my family, I got used to the routine and started enjoying myself. However, a little while after, we were all eager to do something for the society, which is when we started distributing food packets. My biggest learning is you don’t have to do much to make a difference. Sometimes you can contribute by giving your time and a little bit of effort. I’m extremely grateful to the people who joined me and understood the strength of teamwork," she says. She adds, "My foundation is called Shreesava foundation. My husband’s academy is an ace tennis association. We are in collaboration with them and are packing food for the needy and supplying to the Ahmedabad municipal corporation. We are also distributing these food packets ourselves. We use masks, caps, gloves, and aprons, ensuring complete safety and hygiene. We prepare about 4500 packets every day."

Ask her how she keeps herself busy during this time, and she says, "During the lockdown, I went through an evolution. The first question I constantly asked myself is how do you live with the same people for a continuous period of time and still appreciate them, without taking them for granted. My family and I hardly had time together. This lockdown, initially felt like a blessing, but then we started getting tired of each other. That was scary, but essential to get through as well. It made me realise that it is imperative to remember why we love each other in the first place. That has been my biggest learning, to not take each other for granted and remember the good things and appreciate it. Work, of course, though is vital, I realized that it was not the single most important thing. I realized it is okay if I can’t work for now, even for a little time after. What is important is that we are here and safe."In fact, she has a few suggestions for those who are finding it challenging to be at home. "For people who are feeling restless, my only advice is to accept the situation and change their attitude. Feeling restless or complaining will not make the lockdown last for a shorter period. Acceptance is the key," she says. However, Amiben cannot wait for the world to be back to normal. "I’ll be grateful for the situation becoming normal, I think I’ll just be happy to work, but also remember and cherish these times," she says.