You matter

Due to my dad’s attention-seeking behaviour, if he ever said feeling unwell and my mum asked, ‘Are you okay?’, his own complaints would escalate. That annoyed her. Partly because of this, when I told my mum that I wasn’t feeling well, the focus would shift away from my own condition. She would often respond with ‘I’m not feeling well either’ or ‘There are many people in the world who are suffering more than you are.’ While I understand that many people are leading difficult lives, that’s not the point here.

If you’ve ever been told something similar by someone else, or if you find yourself thinking, ‘My suffering isn’t significant because there are others who are suffering more,’ I urge you to stop that pointless comparison straightaway. It doesn’t matter if others would be able to manage it or not. If you feel hurt, you should address the issue for your own sake.

You matter, and your feelings are important.