THE EXPRESSION

  There are many things we often take for granted, and one of them is the simple phrase: ‘thank you’. As brief as it is, 'thank you' is a complete sentence. It speaks volumes. It’s a way of saying, ‘I see what you’ve done for me.’ ‘I couldn’t have done this on my own, but you showed up.’ ‘You didn't have to, but you did anyway.’ And that’s powerful. What I love most about gratitude is this: it opens doors. Not just physical doors, but emotional and spiritual ones too. Take the story of the ten lepers in the Bible; when Jesus healed them, only one came back to say thank you. And what happened? He didn’t just get healed; he was made whole . It’s as if his gratitude unlocked a deeper blessing. He came back, perhaps thinking: ‘Ah! You did what I couldn’t do for myself all these years… and now, I feel whole again. Thank you.’ Saying thank you is more than good manners. It’s an act of humility. It’s choosing to acknowledge the effort , the presence, the care, the sacrific...

    Dear Young Lady, These days, it’s almost like the world expects every girl to have a boyfriend. Being single is seen as weird. Being a virgin? Even weirder. Say you’ve never dated, and they look at you like you’re broken. You might even hear the laughter or see the side-eyes. But don’t give in. Don’t bend under that pressure. Your body is sacred , and you deserve to treat it as such. You are not strange or backward for choosing to stay single. You’re not missing out. You’re simply choosing what works for you and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. It’s okay not to have a boyfriend. It’s okay not to follow the crowd. It’s okay to set boundaries and stick to them. You are not public property. You don’t have to give everyone access to your space, your heart, or your body. You get to choose who comes in and who stays out. So the next time someone shames you for standing your ground, stand even taller. Let them know this is your choice. You’re not judging anyo...

Every day, someone somewhere questions their worth because of a comment made about their body. In a world that constantly tells us how we should look, it’s easy to forget that we all carry invisible battles. That’s why I want to speak up about something personal and powerful today: self-esteem . The subject of healthy self-esteem has been widely discussed. Today, I want to add my voice to amplify its importance in the life of the average person, men and women alike. In very simple terms, self-esteem is how one sees oneself. It’s confidence; a feeling of certainty. Whenever that feeling begins to fade, it’s said that a person is experiencing 'low self-esteem.' Many factors can act as soap and water, washing away a person’s self-esteem and stripping them of the glory of boldness and presence. One of those factors is self-doubt. The moment you start doubting your ability to do things that come naturally to you, your self-esteem begins to erode. Fear and feelings of inadequacy ...

While growing up, I enjoyed having pets around me. I still do, though not as strongly as I used to be. I was such a pet parent that I would cry if anything happened to my dog or cat. But today is not about my dog or cat. It’s about one weird love I had for baby mice. Yeah, you read that right. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I loved that soft, innocent, pink, almost transparent skin of the baby rats. And whenever grandma was declogging the store, I was sure to see one or two of those cuties. She would always shout, ‘Don’t keep them! They’ll become harmful when they grow.' But the pet parent in me would not heed that advice. One day, while I was rearranging my bookshelf, I noticed pieces of paper scattered across the shelf. Curious, I started checking to see what had happened. All of a sudden, something ran past me with the speed of light. My heart skipped a beat, but I kept searching and voilà! My favourite book on the shelf had lost its title from serving as daily food to my no...

 I got pregnant at the age of fifteen (no, don’t judge me). It felt like my world had come to an end. No place to stay, no home, no hope, no future. Just me, empty wishes, and regrets. One day, I decided to end it all; to leave this world. The thought of going to hell didn’t scare me; I was already used to the heat of hell on Earth. I wasn’t thinking about what people would say either, because I had already heard enough side talks and blame. I wasn’t sure if I’d find peace afterwards, but I knew I wasn’t ready to endure the turmoil any longer. So I set out, walking through bush tracks where no one could trail me or uncover my mission. As I walked along the lonely paths, I heard only the whispers of the east wind playing love-dovey with the blades of Elephant grass. Well, I hadn’t experienced love, so I wasn’t jealous. Deeper into the bush, the birds chirped beautiful melodies, and the trees swayed in their glory. It was a beautiful sight; but me? My glory was long gone, and beauty ...

A photo illustration of a caregiver and a special needs warrior. Source:  https://unsplash.com/photos/a-woman-standing-next-to-a-man-in-a-wheel-chair-rXqfl7MKEJ4?utm_content=creditShareLink&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash 🧡 The Silent Strength of Care For two weeks, I was cooking different meals, not because I was a chef or preparing for a food competition, but because one of my siblings was ill and didn’t have a ‘normal’ appetite. Or should I say, he didn’t have an appetite at all. If the general meal was rice and sauce, he’d ask you to take it outside, claiming that it smelled. Ah! That meant making his meals different from everyone else’s, even though he didn’t feel like eating. Fresh fish pepper soup, one of his favourites, suddenly became nauseating to him. Now, let’s not even talk about the stress of cooking two different meals when everyone could have just eaten the same thing at once. The stress of preparing the meals… the mental fatigue from thinkin...

  It’s true you are tall. I can see you are handsome. You are endowed by heaven With beautiful legs like those of the gazelle And eyes as witty as the doves. Your skin colour is as perfect as the word PERFECT . Your accent entices everyone that hears you speak. You are the desire of many. Your beauty is captivating. Your bold chest and sound voice Break the resistance of the strongest woman. Your ivory skin, teeth as white as snow, Flawless skin and accent, Diamond-like set of teeth, or killer shape. I may not know how to command the crowd like you do. My charisma level may just be zero. Yet, I can’t be you. So, stop! Stop pointing at how short I am, How dark he is, how slim she looks, How timid they appear… Just stop telling us how inadequate you feel we are. How you think we can’t make it far, Because you’ve judged us dull and have raised the bar. Just stop dragging our names and toying with our self-esteem. We know we are more! We may not be as fast as ...