Nobody Knew I Was Struggling Part 1

“Alone in the crowd, smiling on the outside, fighting battles inside.”

Story:

If you saw me that day, you would think everything was fine. I was laughing with classmates, replying to messages, and even posting on my WhatsApp status like life was normal. But behind the screen and the smiles, I was carrying a weight nobody could see. My account balance was almost zero. I kept opening my banking app, hoping the number would magically change. It didn’t. Data was finishing. Assignments needed printing. Hunger was knocking quietly, but pride refused to let me beg. People around me were planning outings, buying food, and living freely. I smiled with them, but inside, I was calculating survival. Should I eat today and suffer tomorrow? Or endure hunger and use the money for school work? That was my reality. That night, I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling. My phone was in my hand, but there was nobody to call. Not because I had no contacts — but because I didn’t want to explain my struggle again. “Be strong,” they always say. But nobody tells you how heavy strength can feel. I closed my eyes and made a silent promise to myself: Tomorrow, I will try again. I didn’t know how. I didn’t know where to start. But I knew I couldn’t give up. And that was the beginning of a different mindset one that would slowly change how I saw my struggles. To be continued…