Binte Abul Khair Azmi
These three short words—"I am fine"—seemingly present a picture of peace, contentment, and balance, but if one looks into the mirror of reality, they are often an incomplete truth, a hidden plea, and the silent sound of a suppressed storm. Human nature is strange; it knows well the art of hiding its sorrows behind a veil of words. It smiles, even though the sounds of breaking echo within it.
I am fine"—this sentence is often uttered when the heart is at the peak of restlessness, when the eyes are moist but tears are not allowed to flow, when the tongue is silent but the heart is screaming. These words become a shield, a mask behind which a person hides their sorrows, their failures, their deprivations, and their fears. It is as if this sentence is a curtain that keeps the wounds of the heart hidden from the eyes of the world.
In the journey of life, every person encounters such turns where they start avoiding even their own gaze.
They consider their pain normal, accept their suffering as a part of fate, and then in response to every question, they only say: "I am fine". But this "being fine" is actually a deception, a deception that a person gives themselves to avoid breaking.
Human society is also responsible to some extent for this incomplete truth. We have created a world where showing weakness is considered a flaw, where tears are considered weakness and expressing pain is considered a sign of frailty. This is why people utter a short sentence instead of expressing the state of their heart—"I am fine"—so that the series of questions stops there, and their inner world remains out of anyone's reach.
But the truth is that the more a person suppresses their emotions, the more hollow they become from the inside. If the wounds of the heart are not expressed in words, they become ulcers in silence. Imprisoning feelings may give temporary peace, but not permanent peace. Real peace is achieved when a person expresses their heart to a sincere person, when they share their burden, when they admit that they are not really fine.
This incomplete truth also gives us an important lesson: we should not always consider others' "I am fine" to be the complete truth. Sometimes these words are a cry for help, a silent request that someone understands their condition, reads the moisture in their eyes, and feels the state of their heart. We should try to understand the stories hidden behind people's faces, recognize the emotions hidden behind their words, and be a cause of ease for them.
And above all, a person must learn to speak the truth to themselves as well. Acknowledging the wounds of your heart is not a weakness, but a sign of courage. Accepting your pain is not defeat, but the first step towards healing. When a person says to themselves, "I am not fine," only then do they embark on the path to becoming fine.
The sentence "I am fine" reminds us that behind every smile there is a story, within every silence there is a hidden noise, and every person who appears strong is also weak somewhere inside. Therefore, we should not only create ease for others but also open the door of truth for ourselves.
Because sometimes…"I am fine" is the biggest lie, and "I am not fine" is the biggest truth.
This is the truth that frees the heart, and this is the confession that leads a person to true peace.