S.T.R.O.N.G

“Four down and million more to go”, she smirked as she counted the scars on her soul.

Linda has always been told to ‘BE STRONG’. How strong? She wondered. She seeks explanation this time. Enough was enough. Why has anyone never defined ‘STRONG’ to her! They meant ‘coffee’ strong or ‘Iron’ strong? What did they want her to be? A wall for everybody to paint their dreams and expectation on or a mirror that always only smiled back, hiding all the black spots and wrinkles!...she needed answers.

Talking to herself while doing the dishes has become a habit now. That was her ‘Me’ time. A time when she actually had a chance to form her opinion about situation she had faced through the day and virtually visualize them turning into actions. Clutter of spoons and plates lend background scores to the action sequences, while the foam made for the dreamy romantic songs. These were also times of deep introspection, to soak into the lessons that appeared in the form of ‘life’ in front of her eyes every single day! It was during one of these quiet moments of self-reflection that Linda finally arrived at the answer to the quest that has been messing with her head for far too long. You are only as strong as you look to the world.

‘Strong is the most overstated word of the century. A word that can make anyone shut their mouth, a word that is so versatile, it can overestimate and underestimate any situation or person In a jiffy, a superficial word that can be an answer to so many surge of emotions, feelings and everything that is so real. I wonder if anyone has felt what it feels like to be ‘strong’, or it just an aspiration. Does being strong really help? Or rather does it work? Next time the world asks a girl to be ‘strong’ let the world define it. Let the world show her what it feels like to be strong...or rather, let the world first show her strength by believing in her, and not asking her to‘ BE STRONG ‘.