There is a statement that people like to use “thank God because it could have been worse” but people tend to forget that it could have been better too. I always disliked the statement because it teaches one to suppress our hurt and struggles because according to someone else it could have been worse.
I remember there was a time, my boyfriend complained about something work related, without realizing it, I used the statement on him. Later on, when I realized what I had done, I asked for forgiveness and we came to understanding that whenever one of us says or do something that hurt the feeling of the other person, we say before it escalates.
In my current relationship, I am learning and unlearning a lot of things that I had internalized for a very long time. Without realizing it, I was telling him that his struggles are nothing compared to other people’s struggles. I was supposed to be his confidante, his listener but what did I do on that occasion, I let him down.
Every struggle, every hurt is worth the mention. I remember there was a time, I was talking with a family friend about what happened that defined my future. From form1 to form 3, I had never missed a trip. While I was in form 4, my dad lost his job. I was devastated, but I always thought that my uncle would pay for me because he always paid for me when dad was not able to.
On this occasion, he did not. Everyone at school was asking what happened and I was always among the first people to pay and this time I was the last. That was my wakeup call that I could only depend on God, parents and myself.
To them, this seemed like a petty issue because it was just a trip, no biigie, there is always other trips. When I narrated the ordeal to the family friend, she said my struggles were nothing compared to other people’s traumatic experiences. At times, there are things that we go through, that, to us, it may be a big issue but to someone else, it may be a petty thing.
There is a statement that
people
like to
use
“thank God
because
it could have been worse”
but
people
tend to forget that it could have been better too. I always disliked the statement
because
it teaches one to suppress our hurt and
struggles
because
according to someone else it could have been worse.
I remember there was a
time
, my boyfriend complained about something work related, without realizing it, I
used
the statement on him. Later on, when I realized what I had done, I
asked for
forgiveness and
we came to understanding that whenever one of us says or do something that hurt the feeling of the
other
person, we say
before
it escalates.
In my
current
relationship, I am learning and unlearning
a lot of
things that I had internalized for a
very
long
time
. Without realizing it, I was telling him that his
struggles
are nothing compared to
other
people’s
struggles
. I
was supposed
to be his confidante, his listener
but
what did I do on that occasion, I
let
him down.
Every
struggle
, every hurt is worth the mention. I remember there was a
time
, I was talking with a family friend about what happened that defined my future. From form1 to form 3, I had never missed a trip. While I was in form 4, my dad lost his job. I
was devastated
,
but
I always
thought
that my uncle would pay for me
because
he always paid for me when dad was not able to.
On this occasion, he did not. Everyone at school was asking what
happened and
I was always among the
first
people
to pay and this
time
I was the last. That was my
wakeup
call that I could
only
depend on God, parents and
myself
.
To them, this seemed like a petty issue
because
it was
just
a trip, no
biigie
, there is always
other
trips. When I narrated the ordeal to the family friend, she said my
struggles
were nothing compared to
other
people’s
traumatic experiences. At
times
, there are things that we go through, that, to us, it may be a
big
issue
but
to someone else, it may be a petty thing.