Do you remember how during your growing years
you were taught how to express yourself without
inhibitions and fear?
Do you remember the year during your teens
when you were given the freedom to make
choices for yourself?
Do you remember that day in school when they
taught you to value the little things in life than
just degree, money, and fame?
Do you remember the wise ones telling you that
your experiences are the biggest assets which
you can derive meaning from?
Do you remember learning to constructively confront
your emotions instead of acting out, numbing out,
or seeking detachment altogether?
Do you remember understanding how to express love
and intimacy despite the disconnect you saw
between your caregivers?
Do you remember being told that being friends with
people from other genders didn’t just mean that
you’re having an “affair?”
Do you remember freely talking to your parents about
that girl or the guy you liked in school and would like
to go out with them?
Do you recall that conversation with your elder ones
when they sat you down and told you that “sex”
is not a crime or a taboo?
Do you remember when you were taught that
education is about thinking rather than blindly
receiving what others think?
Do you remember when they told you that it’s okay
to fail and in the process learn about how you
can grow from your experience?
Do you remember when you were asked how to
respect yourself despite all odds and not just
base your worth on external validation?
Do you remember when you were taught how to
love yourself not just on social feeds, but in life
imbued with courage and acceptance?
Do you remember any of these? I don’t.
Perhaps because I had to learn all of these things
on my own.
Aprajita Jha
"I am one, but I am not the only one; hardships and happiness, both spare no one." Governed by this quote that I've written, I try to live each day with courage, care, and compassion.