Family First
FAMILY INSTINCTS VS. ACQUIRED BEHAVIOURS
By Rahul Kapoor
Living vs. Merely Existing
There was something profoundly human about the way families behaved during the COVID lockdown.
With nowhere to go, people turned inward. They played games. Cooked together. Shared meals. Danced to old songs. Pulled out dusty board games. Laughed more, fought less. In those strange, uncertain times, when the world was in pause mode - families found their rhythm.
Why did this happen?
Because the threat of loss brought clarity.
Because suddenly, nothing outside the home mattered more than what was inside.
Because when everything stops, instinct takes over.
And instinct says: Be with the ones you love. Not tomorrow. Now.
We saw many men step into kitchens for the first time. Teenagers became teachers to their parents, guiding them through Zoom calls and digital payments. Joint family activities, long-forgotten, became the highlight of the day. People called old friends. Checked in on neighbours. Prioritised presence over performance.
It wasn’t perfect but it was real. It was human nature unmasked.
From Instinct to Habit
But what happened when the world opened up again?
Life got “back to normal.” But the old normal.
We started chasing schedules. Scrolling endlessly. Cancelling dinner. Skipping hugs.
And what was instinctively nurturing became a luxury again.
It’s not that people stopped caring. It’s that our acquired behaviours, the patterns of overwork, busyness, achievement addiction kicked back in. We became victims of our own conditioning. Of what society calls “success.”
But if a crisis could unlock such warmth, then perhaps that warmth was always within us. It just needed stillness to show up.
The Choice We Keep Missing
This chapter is a gentle reminder: We don’t need another pandemic to be present.
We don’t need another emergency to remember to play. We just need to pause and ask:
“What truly matters and what am I trading it for?”
It’s easy to fall into patterns. But instinctively, we all know:
- Fun strengthens bonds.
- Shared meals deepen connection.
- Laughter heals.
- Being together is the reward.
REFLECT:
- What family rituals brought you joy during the lockdown?
- Which of those have you abandoned—and why?
- What behaviours have you “acquired” that disconnect you from the ones you love?
TAKEAWAY:
- Your family instinct is to connect. Your habit is to disconnect. Choose instinct.
- Don't wait for a crisis to value time together. Create sacred pauses daily.
- True living begins when presence becomes a priority, not an afterthought.