Penguin publishers first came up with a set of 80 books in 2015. Then, they published more and now the boxed set of poetry/prose/short stories has gone to 120. Today, on Instagram, while admiring another fellow reader's Little Black Books (LBB) collection, I lamented how in Indian currency the box set is still expensive. She gave me this wonderful idea to ship it from Book Depository and I promptly looked up the website. To my utter disappointment, Indian Currency transactions don't exist. There's Indonesian Rupiah but not Rupee. I got so excited at the prospect of seeing an entire boxed set for affordable prices, and would have bought the entire set but alas! These are just some disappointing moments and yet there are far greater trivial issues we need to address.
One of my closest friends is miserable and battling depression. She texted me about symptoms and the likely causes she's experiencing this. I hope to be able to help her out of this self-imposed misery. When words fail, especially since we are only having a texting conversation, I feel the need for her to have a heart to heart conversation. We cannot ignore our loved ones suffering through such mental agony. Speaking is very important. Talking and not bottling emotions inside our heads needs to get precedence. Our choices for seeking happiness or at least a tranquil state of being depend largely upon our own self. I know to someone being so miserable these words might seem like a mockery of their emotional vulnerability but I just wish to state that people around them ought to make them feel safe and wanted. When you feel low, remember that nothing lasts for long, neither misery nor its causes. For us humans who go through a vivid emotional roller coaster everyday, pulling our spirits from this low point is extremely important to stay afloat. The moment we give up, we truly close our doors of salvation. Happiness is transient so is misery.
The more I struggle to put things into place, make them go back to normal or try to pacify the situation, the more it seems to be slipping from my reach. If I am able to influence and change the pace of someone's misery, I will do my best to help them. But my efforts won't come to fruition unless they let their old unhappy selves to wither away. Long ago, I had read about treating our bodies not as temples but forests because temples can be desecrated but forests grow and are continually sprouting new life. I think if we extend this thought to our lives, we could greatly do ourselves a favour and benefit from this simple philosophy. Our lives are meant to grow and continually nurtured for a fulfilling existence. The day we dwell upon a darkness and set our energies and minds unto it, we shall wither away and let our spirits desecrated. We suffer failures, and a great deal of disappointments but none should ever be given importance for them to gnaw on us. As one of my new friends, put up aptly into words- "Can we take a step back and examine what comes between the first feelings of wanting to disappear and finally taking the step to do so?" I am talking about suicide, mental illness, frustration, depression- the things that are made of loneliness. If we didn't empty our souls into someone who cared to listen, the results would be death everywhere. And apparently, it is on rise. Like my friend asks, Are less marks, low self esteem, body image issues, abuse and depression the only reasons for committing suicide?
THINK about everything that makes lively cheerful people go into deeper recesses of depression. Help them identify it, take charge of their well-being, make a life saving vow today. Our smallest observations about a person's demeanour can help and prevent them from being spiralled into a deathly dark journey no one deserves. Our anxieties and agonies need a voice. Do not be afraid of being that voice or lending it to someone who needs it to flutter alive into light. Let us be there for each other. Misery needs company and we could very well help defeat the demon that destroys our kin. Amen.
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