Whispers of encouragement gave me wings to fly

We wanted to mark today, World Refugee Day, by sharing some writing and photos on the theme of ancestors and family, from some of the writers in “Tomorrow’s Hope: Modern Creativity Group” Writing Group. Over the next days we will be sharing other samples of this group's writing. 

Some of the authors prefer to call the day ‘World Survivor Day’.

By Nasrin

I found my soul in the darkness and my hands like butterfly wings dancing in the air to get out of this darkness into the light.

I was saved from a dangerous journey and I had left my family behind me, who were everything to me, and suddenly I found myself alone in a deep dungeon, and no matter how much I struggled, I could not get out of it, but whispers of encouragement gave wings to me to fly and become a light of hope so that I can get out of that darkness. When someone falls and you stretch your hand towards them to lift them up, you turn on a light of hope in them and you remember them. There is always hope and don't give up. I received this light of hope from those who sincerely and kindly gave it to me, and I want to give it to others, to all the women who are stuck in a dark part of their lives like me.

Some identities are a reflection that comes from behind us in an image that we did not choose. We do not see in our ancestors anything but a reflection of our identity. Shall we break the mirror, then, we men, so that we may see ourselves without fear? Fear of the other side of ourselves? Where our face appears without being us…or without matching what we think is our image to ourselves. Maybe.