One fact about being strong is that people often assume you are doing great. 🌸 Strength can be misunderstood as having no struggles. That is why it remains important to intentionally check on those we love—our friends, our family, and even those who appear to have everything together. ❤️ Sometimes, when people reach certain heights in life, they lose touch with old friends, and perhaps that is why many say there is loneliness at the top.
As I reflect on the world around us, it feels as though we are standing at the edge of losing a part of our humanity. We speak proudly of civilization, yet wars continue. Violence and immorality are increasingly normalized on our television screens. The most popular content on many movie platforms today often centers on murder documentaries, sexual violence, and other vices—things that can quietly erode the mental and emotional well-being of our children. 🌸
Another reality of our time is the culture of labelling. Almost every action today seems to have a name and a justification. In many cases, it has become difficult to distinguish between a principled individual and a narcissist. Family structures are also evolving in ways that raise questions about the values that once defined marriage and family. Increasingly, people desire love, success, family, and marriage, yet many are not always willing to commit to the effort required to sustain them. ❤️
Our people have a saying: “Afufu gbaa nwoke obi, o di ka o na eke ike.” When a person becomes accustomed to suffering, they may begin to mistake endurance for productivity or hardship for strength. This reflection reminds us that true strength rarely needs to announce itself. Those who are truly strong and independent do not always feel the need to prove it to the world. 🌸
There are also conversations today about identities and behaviours that have existed for a long time but are now more clearly labelled. Sometimes, people may hide under different umbrellas in an attempt to cope with trauma or chaotic backgrounds. Rather than helping them truly heal, society may unintentionally validate those wounds as permanent identities instead of guiding them toward restoration. ❤️
Of course, everyone has the freedom to live as they choose. Yet it is worth reflecting on an important question: At what point do we draw the line between understanding the pain people have experienced and helping them rise above it, rather than allowing that pain to permanently define them? 🌸
Ultimately, my reflection is this: in the way our world is evolving, we may unintentionally overlook those who truly need help. Sometimes behaviours that appear to be identities may actually be silent cries for support and healing.
Let us choose compassion. Let us stop hurting one another. And above all, let us make it a habit to check on the people we love. ❤️ The sad reality is that all lizards crawl with their stomachs on the ground, making it difficult to know which one has a stomach ache.
May God open our eyes and give us wisdom—to discern between decisions shaped by trauma and the deeper reality of who people truly are. 🌸
With reflection and goodwill,
I remain your friend and brother,
Maazi Onuora Obodoechi ❤️
Pen it down. 