I was orphaned before my teenage life started. Every Father’s Day or Mother’s Day brought pain for me as I deeply missed my parents on those days. That pain was over and above the pain I experienced every day of my life due to the absence of the loving care of my parents.

As a sensitive, introvert person (by the way I share my birthday with Mother Teresa), I got hurt by the smallest of things. Burdened with the loss of my parents, something inside me broke that never got fully fixed.

Is it a tragic story? No, it is not. It is about a girl’s story of dealing with life’s struggles and fighting back. I did my share of kicking when things got tough. I even started karate training and eventually landed a black belt.

My elders were really supportive of me. They encouraged me to do anything I liked with my life. So while I grieved over the loss of my parents, I was also fortunate enough to get that vital support in life.

I was not interested in typical girlish pursuits of trendy wear, fashion, make-up items, accessories, etc. I was termed a tom boy by a select few, while others called me dull and boring. But the flip side of the coin was that the few who cared for me were not fake people in any way.

I was quick to trust and judge people though, which is why I got hurt many times. But I never stopped caring for people and holding on to my set of principles, no matter how many times I was hurt by others.

I felt angry at the injustices in the world and mankind’s hypocrisy in general. The urge to do something extreme in order to rise above the wrongs in society and the world was strong inside me, but I kept my actions in check. I used the energy from my frustrations to fuel my in-born determination to achieve something solid in life. I am a career woman now. I have a robust family life and lovely children as well.

My job involves providing information, education and fun to children. This job is like providing nourishment to growing plants. I am glad to be able to positively shape the lives of young ones.

Sharing my story is a way of telling them that childhood or teenage might be a difficult phase, but if you hold on and don’t do anything stupid in life, then things will surely get better for you. At the same time I would like to add that it is alright to do what you really want in life, as long as you are willing to work really hard for it.

Growing up, life gets hard for every child. Still, at an individual level, some among us think that they are the only unlucky ones. If you are one such child, then it is time to change your thinking, attitude and beliefs. Know that there are those who are definitely more unfortunate than you are.

For, instance there are those who live in poverty and their basic needs do not get met. And there are those like me who do not even have their parents around to support them. So compared to them, you should feel really thankful for what you do have in life.

Nothing in life stays forever. Things change and people around us leave for one reason or another. We move on to new places or lifestyles for one reason or another.

Like everyone, the same applies to me as well. But for my part, I try to be thankful for whatever I have in my life and try to share with others all the love that I have got from my family and friends.

This story is a part of all that I do and of my belief in life. And I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for all the love, care, support, advice, lessons, memories, experiences, etc., that I have received, whether directly or indirectly. I may move on to new or different things in life, but I believe that all that I have mentioned would stay forever.

Published in Dawn, Young World, October 19th, 2019