Your Heart is racing. Your Palms are sweaty. Your stomach is tied in a knot. Your mouth is dry. You feel confused. You feel overwhelmed. So much so, that your tears start to fall from your eyes. And The more you try to hide it, the more your tears are storming down your cheeks, no matter how hard you try.
To the little girl waiting in line for her transport after school, I see you. I can see the worry in your eyes. I can see it in the way you are breathing. You hardly speak to your peers, because you feel you cannot take your eyes off the road, just in case you miss your transport. I want to tell you, you are not alone.
After asking her why she’s crying, she says she is worried her transport will not fetch her. I ask her why wouldn’t they fetch her and she says because she was at home for 2 days…
Immediately I think to myself: a child this young, should never be worried about things like this. This is our responsibility as parents to make sure our children are children. It is our responsibility as parents, to make sure our children are free from worry.
I tell her please go and tell your teacher to call your parents or your transport, just so this beautiful little girl can have some peace of mind, but she refuses. My heart breaks for this little girl, she is only 7 years old, and I cannot even go and give her a hug to comfort her. I’m a stranger to her. I want to tell her: you are not alone.
The next time I see her she waits in line at the gate. While I’m waiting on my daughter, I keep an eye on this girly. Again, her breathing increases and her eyes are all over the place. The driveway is crowded, parents are waiting on their kids. And this little girl starts crying again… She is trying to hide her tears, she doesn’t want anyone to see.
I speak to one of the teachers and they assure me they will take it from there.
Days go by and I cannot stop thinking about this beautiful girl. How her afternoon is filled with worry, with anxiety. I can only imagine what she must be going through when the new day starts and everything starts all over again. I wish I can just tell her: You are not alone.
Immediately I am reminded of how many of us go through this on a daily. How so many of us are filled with so much anxiety and fear. Every. Day. I am reminded of how many hide behind their smiles, because they do not want others to see they are worried, that they are afraid of what is to come.
This obviously also reminds me of my own fears and anxiety that I have to deal with. How I wish people would “see” me. “See” what I’m going through and just tell me: You are not alone.
A few days after speaking to the teacher about this little girl, I see her again. Waiting in line for her transport. This time, her eyes are no longer all over the place. She stands there, calm, with a smile on her face. She talks to her peers. She even turns around for a bit, not watching the road, interacting with others.
My heart is happy. I feel so relieved. I have peace in my heart, because I see she is happy.
The world would be a much better place if we could all look out for each other, all the time. No matter if we knew each other or not.
Sometimes just hearing the words “You are not alone”, brings some form of comfort. It already makes you feel a teeny-weeny bit better.
Remember, You Are Not Alone.
I would like to share the following with you:
“REMINDER:
You are stronger than your anxious, scary, intrusive thoughts.
They will pass, they always do.
You are so brave for enduring them.”
