Dear Diary,
Today, I found that the best place to cry is in my mother’s arms.
Don’t mothers and daughters fight more than they ever laugh? Well, we had the ‘fight’, and she won. She won as a mother, a concerned mother who understood her child’s pain and bore it along with her.
What particularly gets me is how my mum just knows everything. She understands what your laugh means, and can tell the difference between that laugh and a smile, and our little fake “Mum, I said I’m fine!” Especially when we are definitely not fine.
I know you’re curious about what exactly happened, but get your hankies ready; I’m taking you on an emotional ride. 🥺
It was a bright and sunny Saturday afternoon, but inside, I was devastated, stuck in a job that drained me, and my discontent was always written all over my face.
As a fresh graduate, I found myself in a space I knew nothing about. I had taken courses to upskill, followed instructions to the letter, but it just wasn’t enough.
Then one day my mum looked at me with those wise, caring eyes and said, “It’s time to move on, baby girl. It’s time to resign.”
I thought she didn’t have a clue what she was talking about. Like babe, resign? You and who? And do what? Stay home and do dishes? Lol.
So I stayed, convinced it was just a phase. I stayed, believing that as a Gen-Z, I understood the times and seasons better than she did.
“She’s old-school,” I told myself, dismissing her advice.
But the devastation only grew. Reality began to dawn on me, comparisons set in, self-esteem dropped, each fact screaming louder than the last: “Resign!”
The truth was undeniable—my mum knew better, and I also knew time was up, I had been ‘winging it’, and my sanity was hanging by a thread.
And so, with a heavy heart, reluctant hands, I handed in my resignation. Jeez, it wasn’t a rollercoaster ride afterward.
I lay in bed for weeks, overwhelmed by pain, frustration, meaningless routines, and daily social media scrollings. I had dreaded that phase.
Again, my mum, ever the voice of good judgment and hope, came to my side and whispered, “Launch again, my dear. It’s time to try again. I know it didn’t work out as you imagined, but try again. Learn from your pain, rearrange your life, remove the barriers, be dynamic, don’t be rigid, and wear a smile on that face for me.”
I couldn’t help but smile.
Sure I smiled but, hey, I didn’t know how to get back on my feet. I wasn’t ready, I was healing, I needed time.
But as the days passed, a light flickered in my mind—a new idea was born. I poured my heart into it, crafting what I believed was a perfect plan. After careful analysis, I realized something humbling: I had followed my mum’s initial advice without even knowing it. I had simply “Gen-Z-ified” it (permit me to create that word). My mum had won again. I saw clearly the beautiful merger could exist between her world and mine.
Dear Diary, today, my mum won. And in her victory, I found my own path to success.
The path wasn’t easy. It was laden with self-doubt, frustration, and the gnawing fear of failure. But with every step I took, I felt my mum’s wisdom guiding me. She taught me that resilience is built through experiences, both good and bad, and that each failure is a stepping stone to success.
I began to see my challenges not as insurmountable obstacles but as opportunities to grow. I took her advice to heart, finding a way to merge my passions with my career. I started learning new skills, focusing on what I loved, and gradually, I felt a renewed sense of purpose.
Looking back, I realize that my mum’s insistence on resigning wasn’t just about leaving a job; it was about finding myself. It was about recognizing when something isn’t right for me and having the courage to make a change, no matter how daunting it may seem.
Today, as I navigate my new path, I carry her wisdom with me. I’ve learned to value her experience and to see her advice not as an imposition but as a gift. Her victory wasn’t just about winning an argument; it was about opening my eyes to new possibilities and helping me find my true self.
Dear Diary, my mum won. And because of her victory, I am stronger, wiser, and more determined than ever to create a life that is true to who I am. In her wisdom, I found my path. And in her love, I found my strength.