“There are years that ask questions and years that answer” - Their Eyes Were Watching God
This year, I have tried to better understand the complexity of our human existence. When considering the world's political climate and our people's fight to reform, there is one constant theme that underlies the voices of our communities; perception.
What does it mean to be human?
Well, to be human means to be capable of feeling, relating, understanding and having the ability to draw some sort of insight (whether that be at a worldly or an individual level).
As people, we are able to interact and socialize at an intricate measure. We are able to perceive our friends and the people around us as full humans.
We are tangible and we exist.
When arriving into the universe, we learn to adapt and grow within our environment. Once assimilated, we find ourselves capable of understanding the personalities of those surrounding us. We garner opinions of one another and create conceptions of who we believe everyone else to be.
In your immediate world, there are people you engage with who have notions and ideas of who they believe you are, in which you will never understand.
You exist to those around you in the same manner that they exist to you.
There are infinite versions of you that exist in other people's minds. And those versions only exist because the people you engage with project pieces of their own identity onto you in order to properly assess your character.
With perception, we are able to observe and create an analysis of not only our existence but for others as well.
That being said, I want to ask, if we all can relate to another through empathy and are aware that there are people around us who have the ability to understand our inner being why is it difficult to open up and share our emotions? Why is opening up viewed as a sign of weakness? Why do some act "hard" and pack their trauma?
To feel and express is to be human and to be human is far from being weak.
Maybe some decide to isolate themselves to save others from their pain and to avoid feeling like a burden. But to share your feelings is to detox and replenish. And if everyone did this we would be creating a harmonic cycle.
If we all see issues and conflicts in the world and are able to empathize, why don't we become more genuine with ourselves and express to others our pain?
The more comfortable we become with authenticity, the more united we'd become.
This year, I've caught myself constantly revisiting a certain quote from one of my favorite books. It goes:
“There are years that ask questions and years that answer”
I find this pearl of wisdom beautiful because it encompasses the meaning of reflection and the capability of deep inspection.
We are living bodies that hold power in profound thought and speech. To make use of our expertise is to grow along with a constantly evolving world.
I hope that with all the pain and reform we are fighting for this year awakes the true compassion in all of us (the informed and misinformed). I hope we will maximize our ability to perceive others for what they are truly feeling.
There's a deeper conception in all of us.
I would like to end this with a couple of lines written by J cole:
"If I could make one more suggestion respectfully
I would say it's more effective to treat people like children
Understandin' the time and love and patience that's needed to grow"
Just because we are adults does not change the fact our souls have been the same age since the day we awoke on this universe. There's a child in all of us.
Let us be vulnerable and open to share our convictions for that will allow us to grow as an entire organism, in harmony.
Reem
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