It’s okay not to “be a man”.
Today is the International Men’s Day and I would love to express profound gratitude to all men on behalf of all women. We are because you are. We acknowledge every sacrifice you have made for us and we don’t take it for granted. Words may fail us but we truly love you.
Special thanks to my dad for being the awesome man he is and a great father.
The essence of celebrating men on this day is to spread awareness about the issues men face.
I have had so many friends suffer in silence either mentally or physically because of the expectation society has placed on them.
“Be a man”! they say.
In my part of the world, ‘be a man’ is supposed to bring you back to your senses when you are told. It brings you back to your sense of manliness, that which society has perfectly outlined for them. ‘Be a man’ equals, ‘do not be afraid, do not get hurt, do not acknowledge the pain, work your ass off even if you are not mentally or physically up for it, care about others first before yourself.’
I have seen many depressed and lost yet so afraid to reach out or acknowledge their problems because they are men and doing so will make them fall short of manliness.
READ ALSO: THE CHAOS THEORY OF THE MIND.
Dear man,
You are as human as you are a man. One with emotions, sense of worth, taste buds and pain receptors. You do not get immunity from life and its hustle because you are a man. It is okay to feel overwhelmed by life or get lost. That is why you are not an island. Please seek help. Open up and talk to someone.
It’s okay not to know it all, to make mistakes, to have a bad day, to not be perfect.
Suicide is real and it’s the number one killer of men in the UK under 45; please don’t risk it.
Depression is real. Please open up about it and be amazed by how many are willing to listen.
Next time you hear “be a man”, it’s me telling you to be a man enough to be human, enough to speak up, enough to love yourself, enough to do ‘you’.
With love,
Afiya