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| photo from the web |
I know. You are happy now. Everything is going according to plan. You
love the people you are with. You love
the things that now surround you.
But how much of the old you have
you sacrificed for the new you?
Maybe you remember it well. You used to write. You even kept a journal. You used to go to a place where you get an
inspiration and like how the night and the dawn predictably come in a day, you
never missed the chance to write your thoughts.
Then something came up. Perhaps a new job? A
new love?
You barely write since then.
***
And I heard you used to love
adventure. You go from one place to
another. You travel. You feel refreshed every time you are
face-to-face with creation. The trek
fuels your spirit; the peak enriches your soul.
Until you got your dream job. You
are happy of course. But you wanted to
prove that you can do better. Overtime. Overtime.
Overtime. And you assumed that perhaps, after proving yourself, you can
do it again. Then promotion. You didn’t stop. You wanted more.
Your trek has become as short
distance as your home to your workplace.
Your peak has become your promotion.
***
Do you also remember how
determined you were years ago? You used
to be a dreamer, a visionary. You saw
yourself landing in your dream job. You
wanted to go abroad. You wanted to do
something different for your country.
You told yourself that you will study really hard; that you will endure
the long nights of working on your assignments and on algebra just to pass your
exams.
Then one day, just like in a fairy tale, the
love of your life came. He has his own
dreams. He has his own priorities. But you love him. And you want the relationship to last. Come
what may, it should last. So his dreams and his priorities became yours. You said, what would you do with that career
you’ve been working for when in the end, all you wanted is to be with this
man.
You forgot your dreams – for
yourself, for the people who have supported you all the way.
***
And oh, can you still see
yourself when you were younger? There
was never a day in forever that you didn’t look at yourself in the mirror. You believed that while physical appearance
doesn’t define beauty, it is still your responsibility to take care of yourself. You used to take care of your hair. You planned for your clothes. They weren’t as beautiful as those of
celebrities but they were good enough.
Then you got married. And had children. You wake up, cook for breakfast, attend to
the kids, clean the house, cook again, get the kids from school, cook, teach
the kids on their assignments.
You never had time for
yourself. You wear whatever is
available.
But you tell me you are happy.
If you are in front a mirror now,
would you take time to look at yourself?
Have you missed that part of you
which you gave away with time?
Don’t you miss yourself?
Then, tell me. Honestly, how happy are you? With all the glamour, the success, the love
life, the children, where is the ‘you’ that you used to love and nurture? Where is the ‘you’ that existed even before everything
and everyone else came in?
I won’t say much this time. Just this one: please, love yourself. It is never wrong. It is never selfish.
