ghostsofyesterday

[ghostsofyesterday]

Growing up is also about knowing that it takes two people to keep a relationship alive, regardless of its nature. You cannot expect someone to have both feet in while you have one of yours out. You cannot expect understanding after ghosting them but having time for everyone else. You cannot expect them to stay and keep up with this behavior. You cannot act like you care about them the moment they finally choose themselves and walk away. Not every time is the other person at fault, nor are the situations; sometimes, it is you.

-vesper

[ghostsofyesterday]

"Even when the lights are off and the theatre is empty, why do you keep performing?" Because I was taught to be perfect, even when no one is looking. I always had an imaginary audience right in front of my eyes, waiting, watching, and observing me to slip up, so that I could become a victim of criticism. For the longest time, I could never express myself, even in my diary, without the fear of someone finding it out and reading it. The weight of their judgmental gaze lingered, suffocating my true self. The auditorium was always packed with expectations, doubts, and fears. I performed for the phantom critics, perfecting my mask, and hiding my vulnerabilities. The theatre might have been empty for others, but not for me – never for me.

-vesper

[ghostsofyesterday]

While AI can process vast amounts of information and generate content, it will never capture the essence of human experience: the whispered secrets in the dead of night, the warmth of a loved one's touch, or the haunting beauty of a melancholic sunset. Human writings are infused with the soul's nuances, making them uniquely authentic and relatable. AI may mimic, but it will never truly create with the same depth, passion, and imperfection that defines us as humans.

-vesper

[ghostsofyesterday]

AI can develop extensively, but it will never fully replicate the complexity of the human mind or the depth of human emotions. We experience intense feelings like anger that can lead to destructive tendencies, persevere through grief in the name of love, and cling to memories of those no longer in our lives. Despite being hurt repeatedly, humans have the capacity to love again, with all its vulnerability and beauty. We find joy in niche interests, experience the crushing weight of hitting rock bottom, and express our suffering through intricate philosophical metaphors. Our emotions are a kaleidoscope of contradictions – fragile yet resilient, fleeting yet eternal.

-vesper

[ghostsofyesterday]

Kids are perceptive; they notice every disapproving glance, every shrug of disappointment, and every jab at their personality. Children become what we mold them into, we intentionally or unintentionally teach them shame for seeking help, instill hatred towards other religions and races, and subtly convey that it's acceptable to hit their partner. We teach them poor emotional regulation, and they learn it's okay to lash out or break things in anger. Kids reflect the behaviors and values of their parents. Those who dare to rebel against toxic patterns often become outcasts because they refuse to conform to the reality forced upon them from birth.

-vesper

[ghostsofyesterday]

One of the propaganda pieces I'll never fall for is, "This is how life is, just accept it." I remember being confused about why adults would say this. Aren't you supposed to make it better? I know you can't control everything, but accepting that life is just cruel and an endless cycle of suffering? Yes, it's very hard out there, and bad things do happen, people do suffer. But life is more than that. Life is also coming back to your pet who's been waiting for you all day. Life is also baking with your sibling as a child and making a mess in the kitchen. Life is also falling asleep in your mother's lap. Life is also hanging out with your friends. Life is whatever you make it out to be. The horrors will persist; nevertheless, so will the joys, the love you give out, and the random moments that make you grateful to be alive.

-vesper

[ghostsofyesterday]

Blessings we often overlook:

Having the privilege to see the majestic mountains, exotic plants, gorgeous sunsets and sunrises, and the faces of your loved ones.

Having a voice to express your needs, feelings, opinions, and desires, and to communicate with your loved ones.

Having the ability to listen to the sound of water falling from a waterfall, birds chirping in the morning, your favorite song, the sound of laughter that feels comforting and like home, and the voices of your loved ones.

Having hands that wipe away your tears, help you write, create, hug, and hold your loved ones.

Having legs that help you reach new places, play with your kids, and carry you forward in life.

Having a healthy mind that doesn't criticize you for everything you do, doesn't make you feel bad about existing, doesn't force you to shrink yourself, and most importantly, doesn't torment you with negative thoughts 24/7.

Having loving, supportive, affectionate, and caring parents.

-vesper

[ghostsofyesterday]

Blessings we often overlook:-

Coming back home safely and reaching your destination safely.

Having a fully functioning and healthy body.

Having an inherent need to love the unloved, such as stray animals.

Having access to all the knowledge in the world.

Being the first person in your family to break the cycle of generational trauma.

People who break societal, stereotypical, and generational norms, and discuss topics considered taboo.

The overwhelming feeling of being interconnected to strangers through shared human experiences.

Having people who love you unconditionally.- Your mom's cooking, her constant worrying about you, and her prayers for your health.

Having the freedom to buy whatever you want with your hard-earned money.

Being full of love, which comes back to you in various forms.

-vesper

[ghostsofyesterday]

When fathers realize their daughters are not as compliant as their mothers, they don't just lose a bit of their mind, they lose the illusion of power they thought they had. They lose their sense of identity, built around dismissing, abusing, neglecting, and controlling their wives. They lose their words because how can a woman, let alone their daughter, possess the courage to stand up to what's wrong? Most importantly, they're flabbergasted because in their daughters, they don't see a reflection of their wives, who were easy to control, instead, they see a more relentless and ruthless version of themselves.

-vesper

[ghostsofyesterday]

After a certain age, it is literally your responsibility, no one's else, to teach yourself the things you were deprived of, to unlearn and let go of all the toxic habits, because flaunting anger issues, being emotionally unavailable, and not being able to communicate your feelings seems like nothing more than an excuse. Life is unfair to everyone in various ways, a little to some, a lot to others. You cannot spend your whole life whining and complaining about how cruel it was to you; the trauma inflicted upon you cannot be justified, but it is your duty to heal, grow, and feel safe in your mind.

-vesper

[ghostsofyesterday]

The sins of the father often skip over the son and embed themselves into the bones of the daughter. And yet you ask, where I get this anger from? It's your fault, you engraved it into my blood even before I was born. I have to carry your sins with me and repay for all the debts you caused. I am your daughter, yet the difference remains staggering. There are times when I don't recognize you, and neither do you recognize me. But sure enough, in my anger, I see glimpses of the angry man I've become. So I surely must be your blood, because I cannot rest until I have destroyed everything. In my anger, perhaps just like the monster I was fated to become. I am your daughter, and as much as I'd like to forget this, I hope someone had rescued you when you were a child.

-vesper

[ghostsofyesterday]

How, majority of the times, one would automatically assume, in a restaurant, that the man is the chief and the woman is the waitress, is a stark reflection of the deeply ingrained patriarchal conditioning that permeates our society. Patriarchy has convinced us from the beginning that a woman's sole purpose in life is one of servitude, to sacrifice, to give all of herself till there is nothing left. It is always, 'wash the dishes' while your brother is allowed to go play outside or 'my mother never raised her voice against my father' or publicly insulting, embarrassing your wife to feel a sense of power. Society treats our rage as something so frail, and moulds us into these fragile dolls who are not capable of revolt and violence, silencing their opinions, stealing their work, and yet always pointing an accusing finger towards us, just as Khaled Hosseini once said, 'Like a compass needle that points north, a man's accusing finger always finds a woman. Always.'

-vesper

[ghostsofyesterday]

Depression is like drowning, the more you try to rise to the surface, the more an unseen force drags you down by the ankle, pulling you deeper into the unforgiving waters. It's as if the world around you is conspiring to keep you submerged, with every hurtful word and careless action weighing you down, making it harder to break through to the surface. Your lungs burn from the lack of air, your heart strains from the weight of expectation, and your entire being screams for relief. The surface seems impossibly far away, and the darkness below threatens to consume you whole. In this desperate struggle, every moment feels like an eternity, and the thought of resurfacing seems like an unattainable dream. No matter how hard you try, all hope feels lost. You thrash around, trying to scream, but the water chokes you. No one is there to lend a hand, because the people around you aren't drowning. They keep telling you to come to the surface, without offering any support, saying it isn't that hard, but they're not the ones drowning.

-vesper

[ghostsofyesterday]

Love is more than the butterflies in your stomach; it's devotional, sacrificial, and demands vulnerability. It requires you to be open, to shed your defenses, and to strive for better. Yet, many people shy away from this depth of emotion, preferring the comfort of emotional distance. They crave the idea of love without the risk of true intimacy, wanting to remain closed off while expecting the other to bare their soul. In today's world, love is often diluted to fit neatly into one's comfort zone, stripped of its true power and depth. But real love isn't a gentle whisper; it's a force that consumes you, challenges you, and transforms you from the inside out. It's not about convenience or sentimentality, it's about surrender, growth, and the willingness to be fully seen and known. Love isn't something you casually dip your toes into; it's an ocean that demands you dive in headfirst, with all your heart and soul.

-vesper

[ghostsofyesterday]

My survival is not something you can label as beautiful; it's divine, a phoenix rising from the ashes of my past. It's destruction dressed in gold, with flames igniting whatever path I carved into the hollowness of my soul. I am alive because I dared to burn the generational curses and wear them as my most beloved jewel around my neck, their fiery embers now fueling my every step, every breath, every defiant heartbeat. In the depths of my scars, I've found a strange, pulsing beauty, a testament to the battles I've fought and won, no matter how bloody my head gets, it remains unbowed. My story is one of resilience, of turning pain into power, darkness into light. I am the architect of my own liberation, and my survival is the loudest declaration of my existence. I did not find a way, I forged one.

-vesper

[ghostsofyesterday]

Adulting is about handling your loved ones in their sickness and praying desperately for them to wake up one last time, just so you can tell them how much you loved them, when they die. What people don't understand is that your work life and job are temporary; you can be replaced in a day. Your family, however, is permanent. Yet, we prioritize our jobs, promising ourselves we'll spend time with them later, and suddenly, that later never comes. That's why the more you grow, the more you understand the importance of spending time with your family and friends, talking and laughing about the same incidents that happened years ago. Meeting every once in a while never feels like it's enough, yet the bond doesn't change due to distance. Your father still insists on buying you ice cream even when you earn your own money. Your mother's calls serve as a constant reminder that you're on her mind 24/7, despite knowing one day they will leave us too.

-vesper

[ghostsofyesterday]

Adulting is about handling your loved ones in their sickness and praying desperately for them to wake up one last time, just so you can tell them how much you loved them, when they die. What people don't understand is that your work life and job are temporary; you can be replaced in a day. Your family, however, is permanent. Yet, we prioritize our jobs, promising ourselves we'll spend time with them later, and suddenly, that later never comes. That's why the more you grow, the more you understand the importance of spending time with your family and friends, talking and laughing about the same incidents that happened years ago. Meeting every once in a while never feels like it's enough, yet the bond doesn't change due to distance. Your father still insists on buying you ice cream even when you earn your own money. Your mother's calls serve as a constant reminder that you're on her mind 24/7, despite knowing one day they will leave us too.

-vesper