I have been off writing for a while. The other day my mother casually remarked, “You don’t write anymore. I miss reading you.” That statement stayed with me. I had realised that long before my mother said that out loud. I thought to myself; maybe it’s just a phase where I need to experience life to write about it later. I look around me, and I see a lot of people leaving behind a lot of things they loved doing and ludicrously call it “The process of growing”. Recently I scribbled in my diary, “Mom, you never told me that growing up involved leaving the things you love.”
You have thought to yourself by this time, “Oh yes, that’s what life is! And this is another article on letting your ex-lover go”. First of all, this is not about a boy or a girl. Secondly, regardless of what you thought, you continue to read – you know why? Because of a mix of boredom and inquisitiveness. Those are the two emotions I see in abundance in people these days, which is completely justified with the environment we surround ourselves with. As each day passes on, and we get caught up in the rut of waking up, rushing, struggling, thriving, suffering, hurting, craving, and existing; we are slowly losing on moments where we can make a ‘difference’. A difference to ourselves, to the people we love and the people who impact our lives in the smallest ways. Easy to write, I assume, tougher to practice. I agree. What exactly is this difference that people talk about in their inspirational speeches?
We have started dealing with being hurt by someone and hurting someone else in return; this worries me. We get hurt and like posts on Instagram and Facebook that relate to us; this worries me. We have learnt to block our emotions out and deal practically because we think that makes us ‘strong’; this worries me. We are fiercely getting bolder, to the extent that we are becoming inaccessible to the people who love us; this worries me. We are getting dark, and that concerns me the most.
My mother used to cry at times, and I used to think “she is so weak”. Years later, I realise it was her strength. It was her grit to emote and convey what she felt while she let her eyes speak when her lips were tired. Most importantly, her power to make the other person realise that they have hurt her. If you have reached this part of the article – I urge you to express, not just to speak up when there are some injustice and women empowerment issues happening around the country.
This is the ‘difference’ that I have decided to incorporate in my life. I want my nieces and nephews to see the world where people laugh, cry, pull, push, whine and emote everything we feel. I want them to know that it is sheer courage to feel and express; because that’s how relations are built. I want them to see that we get hurt when we let someone hurt us; it is entirely up to us. I want them to know that it is okay to cry at times, to be sad on Monday mornings, to take a break from life and just settle your feelings, to breakdown because that’s when we rise. Sounds very clichéd, I’m sure. But that’s what it is.
Let’s start the wave of healing without hurting others. You are not the only one hurt, so be gentle and patient. We all need some kindness. So remember these things happen, just be patient with life.
– Break, Build, Rise and Shine
