In periods where I find myself with a lot of time on my hands such as Staycations, Days off and night shifts in Ramadan as well as the current crisis now; I tend to go through the following stages:
- Boredom
- Melancholy
- Irritation
- A sudden urge to reorganise my bedroom
- Loneliness
Loneliness is the big one. This is when I start getting in touch with all the people I never seemed to find the time to talk to, especially when I was busy earlier. I also end up kicking myself because I am rudely reminded of why I stopped keeping in touch with some people in the first place :-).
Loneliness hand-in-hand with boredom is a tough thing to deal with, especially in the current crisis where most of us are self-isolating. But here's my advice to you ... don't adopt if you're reason is that you are lonely and bored.
Honestly, I am the last person to discourage someone from adopting our furry buds, but think about it. Right now you will have loads of time to spend with them and will cherish their company to the moon and back.
What happens when everything goes back to normal later?
You may say now that you love your furry friend too much to imagine giving them up. However, those of us who couldn't adopt had a valid reason for it; especially with our busy work schedules.
For me, it's in times like these and even every Ramadhan that my heart's yearning to adopt is stronger. But I restrain the urge from doing so by mentally reminding myself of the main reasons why I haven't adopted yet.
It hurts not to, but I must think about my furry friends' happiness. They each deserve to be in wonderful forever homes till Allah summons them back to Him.
It's a gloomy phase but hold on and let's reach out to each other to keep the loneliness at bay.
If you still want to have some furry companionship during this period, think about fostering. The Bahrain Animal Rescue Centre are among those you can reach out to, if you have any questions. Or if just want to give back, then donate in cash or kind to your preferred animal rescue or shelter such as the BSPCA. That way you will be helping the society care for our four-legged darlings, till their prospective adopters come along.
Stay safe ya'all and let's pray that we all get see each other healthy and happy, after this storm has passed.
