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Women's friendships are crucial to their lives - these often lift one up and sustain us in dark times. A touching personal account.
Women’s friendships are crucial to their lives – these often lift one up and sustain us in dark times. A touching personal account.
It felt like I was in an abyss, a dark and endless one at that. Like I had been held underwater for far too long while I struggled, fought, and kicked for a breath of fresh air. It was like being punched hard in the stomach, reeling with pain, gathering the courage to get up and being punched once again – a vicious cycle.
It’s easy to see that these were signs of grief and trauma. I was engulfed in sorrow and was slipping further and further into the pit of misery and despair. I had to make a move and change the situation I was in primarily because of my own actions. But to do so, I needed something. Not something monetary, but a push. Or perhaps a pull, a hand stretched out just far enough so as to assure me of its unwavering presence on the other end.
That’s when I wiped my eyes, looked around me, and realised the actual depth of my abyss. It was only as deep as I wanted it to be. I could see not one but several hands extended towards me, urging me to take that one step across to the other side.
These hands had been there all along. I hadn’t been able to see them clearly as the tears had blocked my view of what lay ahead of and around me. Those hands were signalling to me to cross over. It took boundless courage and strength but I did it. I took the plunge! I was free!
It was in these moments of suffering that I realised the magnitude of female friendships. If not for those outstretched hands, I probably would never have been able to do what I did.
Yes, I had to take that step all by myself. Yes, I had to keep moving each day. Yes, I had no idea what I would do tomorrow. But these women, these firebrands, had shown me what it means to be a woman of substance. While I was losing faith in myself, they clung on to me like melting wax on a wooden surface. They made me realise the consequences of forsaking my self-worth in exchange for affection.
I was no longer delusional. What more did I need to stand upon?
The events of tomorrow are beyond my knowledge or control, but what I do hold power over is myself – today and tomorrow. I have realised now the intensity of kindness and generosity. The power of simply being there for someone who may be holding on just by a thread.
We women are powerhouses, the source of strength, power and courage. It’s time we realise this and stretch that hand out to another in need.
Image source: shutterstock
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UP Boards Topper Prachi Nigam was trolled on social media for her facial hair; our obsession with appearance is harsh on young minds.
Prachi Nigam’s photo has been doing the rounds on social media for the right reasons. Well, scratch that- I wish the above statement were true. This 15-year-old girl should ideally be revelling in her spectacular achievement of scoring a whopping 98.05% and topping her tenth-grade boards. But oddly enough, along with her marks, it’s something else that garners more attention – her facial hair.
While the trolls are driving themselves giddy by mocking this girl who hasn’t even completed her school yet, the ones who are taking her side are going one step ahead – they are sharing her photoshopped pictures, sans the facial hair, looking nothing less than a celebrity with captions saying – “Prachi Nigam, ten years later”.
Doctors have already diagnosed her with PCOD in their comments, based on photographic evidence. While we have names for people shamed for their weight – body shaming, for their skin colour- racism, for their age- age shaming, for being a female- sexism, this category of shaming where one faces criticism for their appearance has no name. With that, it also has zero shame attached to it.
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