09/08/2018
.WOMEN IN DEPRESSION:The golden smile that hides the broken heart.
The confident eyes that conceal the wounded soul.
The make up on the face that hides the break down in the spirit.
The public display of “self-love” deflecting the internal feelings of self-hate.
She spreads the emotions of joy, energy and life around her while inside she suffers emotions of lifelessness, helplessness, hopelessness and worthlessness.Ask her how she’s doing, she responds: “I’m FINE”
“Feeling-I’m-Nothing-to-Everyone”, and none can look through her bold eyes and smiling face to see the broken soul she’s hiding inside.
“I’m a strong girl”, she says. Then she thinks, “If only I was as strong on the inside as I look on the outside. If only this makeup on my face could hide my own internal agonies from me.”
Everybody marvels at how high she is flying, but only she knows that inside she is dying.
She’s on top of the world, but she knows she’s going under; all the way down to the bottomless pit.She gets abused and makes excuses for her abuser.
She reaches out in love while she is taken for granted.
She serves with compassion while she remains unappreciated.
She carries the weight of the world on the shoulders that are weakened by the humiliation of name-calling and discrimination.When she dies, they say she is too weak;
When her husband dies, they say she killed him.
When her husband is infertile, they say she is barren; and she takes it on with the smile, because she had rather sacrifice her self-worth to shield him from humiliation.
If she gets r***d, she gets blamed for “seducing” the ra**st.
Sexism degrades her, but her radiant smile masks her debilitating experiences of worthlessness.
Her face lights up the world, but the darkness in her soul clouds her own way; yet she never stops believing, hoping and achieving.
Outside she’s smiling, but inside she’s dying - and none of humanity seems to care.She has something to say, but who cares to listen?
Who cares to notice that the boldness in her face is concealing the petrifying fear in her heart?
We say she is rude while all she’s trying to do is defend her fragile heart broken by a series of recurring betrayal and disappointments.
They say she is lazy, because they have not taken time to understand the fatigue that weighs her down because of depression.
Around her, everybody is impressed; but inside her, she is heavily depressed.In this Women’s Day, my heart goes out to every strong girl who faces death each day and yet continues to live;
To every woman being used and abused daily but still sucks it up and snatches life from the jaws of death;
Congratulations, Girl, for waking up another day when you know you should have died before last night!
Well done on staying alive when all you want is to die.
As a man, I am your brother, and I feel your pain.
If you speak, I will listen.
If you breakdown, I will reach out.
If you fall apart, I will hold you by the hand.
I’m your brother, and I understand.Go on and cry, because you are that strong!I am Lehlohonolo Mazindo, and I am a Depression Activist ✊🏽✊🏽✊🏽 can
