Page 16 - Seniorstoday March 2024 Issue
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advertising, animation and soon started you are constantly walking on eggshells.
an advertising firm with the help of It’s like feeling that you are constantly
two friends. His creativity brought him dodging landmines in your own home
more business, he got a job offer from a when they should have been swept away.
top advertising agency in Bombay, they I became a stranger to my own desires, I
offered him a flat and car and he moved silenced my voice to keep peace. I chose
to Bombay winding up his business in isolation over conflict, and my guilt about
Pune. Back home, Rajeev made my life saying anything that may upset my kid’s
miserable. Constantly grumbling and anxiety was a constant companion. There
demanding money. One day he told me was no joy in our relationships. This
that he was going on a road trip with his hypervigilance consumed a significant
girlfriend to Kashmir and could he get five amount of my mental and emotional
thousand rupees from me. I gave him the energy. I was feeling powerless and alone.
five thousand and I was happy to see him It was a time to re-evaluate and seek out
go. That evening I rang up my brother who another path. I didn’t know why I did
came down the next day and within a week not put a stop to this bickering in the first
I had sold the flat and went to live with my place. I felt guilty that Rahul was gay
brother in Bangalore. I left two suitcases and wanted to hide this from friends and
and four cartons with the neighbours. Two family. I tried to maintain peace at every
weeks later, Rajeev came back and found cost, even at the cost of my own mental
someone else living in the flat. I left a little sanity.
note for him saying that I had sold the flat This was wrong, and it was not our fault
and moved to Bangalore, but had deposited that Rahul was gay. We should have
twenty thousand rupees in his bank set boundaries for healthy interactions.
account. Rajeev called my brother who in We should have started talking not
no uncertain terms told him things that I just any talk but honest open and
could never have said. Rajeev called again non-confrontation communication.
many times but my brother never let us get Unfortunately we didn’t. When you
connected. He even threaten suicide. My find yourself continuously walking on
brother said go ahead and jump into the eggshells it’s a sign that something is not
“Mula Mutha” river. right and you have to address it. This can
have profound psychological effects on
your wellbeing. It’s not just a momentary
discomfort but it can leave lasting scars.
Anxiety, stress, depression, self-doubts
and low self-esteem is a sure sign that you
are on quicksand and if you don’t pull
yourself up, it could be fated. This is to
remind you that your wellbeing matters.
You need to prioritise your happiness and
emotional health and when you realise that
there are eggshells in the room — sweep
This is a parent’s story about life when them away.
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