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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Inspirational
- Subject: Character Based
- Published: 05/03/2023
MY HEART OUTSIDE THE BODY
Born 1995, F, from Kigali, RwandaMY HEART OUTSIDE THE BODY
A letter to my child
'In one life there is love for one’s children to tie to; in another life, a talent to be used; in a third, perhaps only lingering memories worth preserving'. – Viktor E. Frankl
Dear Warrior, You are loved and loveable above all else I want you to know that you’ll learn this from my words and actions. The lessons I learnt and how I treat you and how I treat myself. I want you to feel noticed, heard and valued. Always feel my warmth and tenderness all around you. I want you to engage with the world from a place of worthiness, you’ll learn that you’re worthy and belonging in joy every time you see me practice self-compassion and embrace my own imperfection.
We’ll practice courage in our family by showing up, letting ourselves be seen and honoring vulnerability, we’ll share our stories of struggle and strength, there will always be room for both. I want you to know happiness so that together we practice gratitude. I want you to feel bliss so that together we learn how to be vulnerable. I’ll want to take away your pain but instead, I’ll sit with you in that moment of sorrow. I will not teach or show you anything perfectly but I’ll let you see me and I will always hold a secret, the gift of seeing yourself truly and deeply in me.
From that point my love, there are a few things I want you to know from me directly. As you grow up, I want you to be prepared, I understand that you will learn more from the life you lead but I have to tell you this, in this life, it’s about learning and unlearning . Never allow your mind to be dormant. Follow what your teachers are teaching you, read that book, watch that documentary and learn a new skill.
In fact, life brings various tests, be prepared to accept challenge with a positive mind and face it. Don’t ask why me? Every experience comes with a lesson.
The most challenging thing in this world is, in class they will teach you a lesson, and give you exam after. While in real life, there’s a test then lesson after. The first exam of life will include things like, in this planet of 7 billion people, why are you here? Who is a person, what makes you unique?
I cannot credibly explain what a person is, but I believe the traits we inherit from our genetics and the experiences that we encounter in life are constantly interacting thus influencing a person’s life. If this were not true, then we would be able to predict the behavior and character of a person from the moment they were born. How these factors interact is still unknown today and they remain largely unpredictable in a person’s life. And that’s what makes life interesting. Be it as it may, I’m eager to witness all that you are and will do!
'Learning is a gift even when pain is your teacher.' -James Garner
As I said, I cannot explain everything because I want you to observe and experience life from your point of view. As you grow up, there are things you will need to stand up for. Like your voice, your space and most importantly guard your joy and nothing should take it away. It’s your inner power. Guard your joy.
Learn to trust the Lord, Proverbs 3: 5-6 says “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding...” trusting in God will enlighten you on how to develop your values, personal principles and wisdom.
There is a difference between being religious and having faith. One is a movement and the latter is about personal experience. The relationship you develop with the creator that’s what counts.
If you want to know why in the population of 7 billion plus, what your purpose of existence is, then go direct to the Creator through prayer and meditating on the word of God. God speaks to those who wait on Him.
In your early age, you’ll think that what you’re doing, you’re doing it for me for your teachers, or your friends, but no; every decision will first impact you, then me [obviously] or anybody involved. So be careful, and choose wisely. Maybe to help you, make sure your mind, body and soul are in harmony with every decision you make.
My father uses physics as a perfect example for dealing with life. ‘If an object is at rest, it stays at rest unless a net force acts on it,’ that’s Newton’s law. If you keep your mind dormant, you’ll not learn, thus you won’t have knowledge. Be curious, crave for information, because an empty mind is the devil’s workshop. Information will guide you and give you clarity when making important decisions.
Now, allow me to tell you about worry; the fear of facing the future brings worry evidently. Because we humans, we are limited. We face the future with hope not by facts and evidence. Talking of uncertainty of life, you my child, life is about taking risks, follow your heart and do what gives your heart peace. Avoid approval and validation, depend on your peace of conscious.
From the pregnancy phase, I had a moment of doubt; doubting my ability for motherhood. Fearing that I’d f**k it up. The constant anxiety! At the same time, the idea of you, the power within me, the life overflowing in my veins. You, my dearest child, gained ground from the very start, and empowered me to do what I always thought I couldn’t.
In brief my child, don’t doubt yourself. Worrying is a waste of time. Good things and bad things happen. Keep your head high.
Problems my love, the world is not short of them. Before you can solve a problem, many more come. Sometimes at ago. When that happens, first chill. It’s not the end of the world. Don’t panic and decide with pressure. Put problems in categories. Which is important, important and urgent and most urgent and most important. So when problems come at once, classify them and deal with them with a sober mind.
You need to understand exactly what the problem is. That may sound obvious, but people often have trouble solving problems because they lack basic diagnostic skills. Sometimes that’s because they haven’t defined the problem clearly enough. Which brings me to conflict. When you see people having conflicts, most of the time it’s their failure to recognize a problem and they end up blaming each and define one as a problem.
But you my sweet-pie, you need to figure out the problem before you blame the other person. You need to learn to look at the situation from the other person’s perspective. Know where they are coming from then sit and talk about it.
There’s no script for making it in life, just by continuing to exercise, experiment step by step, it becomes fun to solve problems, to accomplish a task.
In life, be who you are. Be crazy, be smart, be foolish, try, laugh and love. The people who matter will appreciate who you’re and those who don’t matter, you will never be enough. Overall, always have a teachable spirit.
Things change. Change is a factor of life they say. Nothing is permanent. So human behavior is dynamic, humans are complex. Sometimes, the people you would take a bullet for, are the same people behind the gun.
My beloved child, soon you will have to stand for a cause. It’s normal. The cause can be religious, humanitarian, and political or business oriented. What you need to know, in this world everyone is after something. Then you will start to associate with people, classmates, workmates and maybe teammates. Therefore, you will need to know how to pursue your cause.
First and foremost my child, don’t follow the mass. The mass will mislead you. The mass got no opinion. The mass profits politicians. Finally, everyone goes to his home and eats what they prepared on their table. Make sure you have where to turn back too. Ensure you have food on your table. Be friendly, but also be your own person. Be independent. Work smart. Resist pressure at all cost. Remember, when things don’t go your way, never be shy to turn to me. I will always be there for you.
My darling, resist evil by doing good. Some people will do you evil, intentionally or purposefully, it’s hard to predict peoples’ behavior and intention. You’re responsible for your actions and intentions. You can’t control how and why people treat you the way they do. But you can control how you react to it. Be slow to react. Be forgiving and welcoming. People do things not necessary how they have planned it. I have come to understand that humans, do according to the door they have opened in them. In us humans, inhabits good and evil. So it’s hard to conclude that one is good or bad but depends on which door opened.
Like some animals are meant to kill each other to live symbiotically for a lifetime, human beings too, live like sharks to be successful, to be rich, they choose themselves. Oh my child, you heard me well, they chose themselves. That sound like ego, yes it is. Humans can be bad. But really bad when ego is at the front seat.
You’ll be shocked to see some people getting comfortable sucking blood out of you, to get the best of you at a low cost. We call that capitalism. I hope you won’t be a magnet to such people. Tray your own thing. The world is big and be ready to create your own world. You may find yourself on cross roads on the journey to create your own world, keep trying nobody has a magic formula, learn not to give up on things you want and never give up on yourself. Practice patience.
Talking of patience, first you need to be patient with yourself. Take step by step. Avoid hurrying but be quick. Hope you understand my child. Yes in this world, we are on pressure not to be left out, we have deadlines, and everything is done on time. Well, life has its own way. Don’t rush for elevators when there are stair cases. Do that exercise, it will teach you that in life there is no short cuts. Also by taking stair cases you will learn that every step to another step, energy and patience is required. You will also know that after one challenge lays another challenge ahead.
Through my life experience, nothing comes on a silver platter, life will throw shit at you, and you’ll know that you’re alive when you’re able to feel it. Do not fear hardships or defeats through that God will reveal himself to you. You are not alone. Always remember that. The stress, fear, euphoria, anxiety, and dear, you wish not to miss it.
As you embark on your journey to growth, there’re two or three maybe more I want you to know about power. Power is good, when used to improve the life of people.
Power dents to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts absolutely!
Power is the ability to influence others or events. There’re different types of power, but I’m not going to go into that, you’ll get time to understand. I just want to emphasize on personal power. Every human being holds power from within, because existence in itself is power. Someone with strong personal power is focused on their self-efficacy and ability to cooperate with others. They lead by example. They are inspiring. They influence their peers by fostering a positive worldview. They are assertive but respectful, successful but humble, and driven but stable.
Dear child, open your eyes. Not everything you see is white or black.
Somethings will shock you. Fraud is out there, open your eyes. Autocrats feed citizens with fear to keep power. When people are afraid, they need protection – assurance. So the game keeps going; taking away personal freedoms and rights in exchange of safety. However this kind of trade doesn’t guarantee sustainable peace and safety that the ordinary people seek. I call it a bad trade. Avoid selfish interests.
The problem, people seem to congratulate the bewildering sway presented to them.
The rights activists who tend to speak out on our behalf risk their lives on our watch. The worst part, we do nothing. You ask yourself; to whom shall we turn to? We celebrate those who chant the ruler.
Those who were doing us some good, who knew it was never enough but hoped to improve a little by living. Shall we be courageous enough to speak out? It’s the decision that every civilization has to make.
Despots narrate and twist stories according to what benefits them, and it serves them well as long as they hold power. When they laugh, the atmosphere bursts with laughter, and when they cry, the little children die in the streets. They engage in filial cannibalism and eat their own young. And the bizarre thing is, you’ll study some of them at school and your knowledge will be measured by how well you remember every detail about them. Yeah, it’s crazy!
As Herbet Hoover said; ‘It is paradox that every dictator has climbed to power on the ladders of free speech. Immediately on attaining power each dictator has suppressed all free speech except his own.’ One rational voice is dumb consequently slain.
Some will even quote the Bible to convey their message and disguise themselves as holy with substantial reasons to incessantly rule. My little heart, you are free to support any politician you want but mostly love your people, your compatriots without being tribal. Be clear in your ideology. Understand the deference between the love of those who rule over you and the love of the country. Look for what benefits your country people as a whole, render social justice, be courageous but be wise to see another day. I call that patriotism.
My baby, beware of fraudulent behavior, the abuse of power is also seen in church. Be wise. Have a discernment mind. A number of ‘servants of God’, through the clergy, select, cultivate, protect, defend, and produce sexual abusers who molest young children, wife beaters, slaughterers, and robbers.
Beware, those who are given responsibility to take bread & wine and make Jesus Christ present at the altar, also have the ability to divide people with hatred. They’ll preach the evilness of possessions, and the next day you’ll see those wearing stolen diamonds with expensive properties – land, cars, hotels, banks, and keep on demanding the offerings in the same pulpit.
People who are granted the power to give justice are also capable of falsely condemning others. People who are honored to give life, bring peace are the ones with great power to do the opposite. The difference is integrity.
I am aware that unless I identify and comprehend my calling on earth, my power too might run corrupt as lie limp and un-serving as an unconnected wire.
Last but not least don’t be afraid, I’ll never let you down in this life or another. However mysterious or great life can be, you exceed every little meaning it has to me. You are the thought I fail to put into words!
Now take up your mantle, the world is yours to run!
MY HEART OUTSIDE THE BODY(Diane Uwamariya)
MY HEART OUTSIDE THE BODY
A letter to my child
'In one life there is love for one’s children to tie to; in another life, a talent to be used; in a third, perhaps only lingering memories worth preserving'. – Viktor E. Frankl
Dear Warrior, You are loved and loveable above all else I want you to know that you’ll learn this from my words and actions. The lessons I learnt and how I treat you and how I treat myself. I want you to feel noticed, heard and valued. Always feel my warmth and tenderness all around you. I want you to engage with the world from a place of worthiness, you’ll learn that you’re worthy and belonging in joy every time you see me practice self-compassion and embrace my own imperfection.
We’ll practice courage in our family by showing up, letting ourselves be seen and honoring vulnerability, we’ll share our stories of struggle and strength, there will always be room for both. I want you to know happiness so that together we practice gratitude. I want you to feel bliss so that together we learn how to be vulnerable. I’ll want to take away your pain but instead, I’ll sit with you in that moment of sorrow. I will not teach or show you anything perfectly but I’ll let you see me and I will always hold a secret, the gift of seeing yourself truly and deeply in me.
From that point my love, there are a few things I want you to know from me directly. As you grow up, I want you to be prepared, I understand that you will learn more from the life you lead but I have to tell you this, in this life, it’s about learning and unlearning . Never allow your mind to be dormant. Follow what your teachers are teaching you, read that book, watch that documentary and learn a new skill.
In fact, life brings various tests, be prepared to accept challenge with a positive mind and face it. Don’t ask why me? Every experience comes with a lesson.
The most challenging thing in this world is, in class they will teach you a lesson, and give you exam after. While in real life, there’s a test then lesson after. The first exam of life will include things like, in this planet of 7 billion people, why are you here? Who is a person, what makes you unique?
I cannot credibly explain what a person is, but I believe the traits we inherit from our genetics and the experiences that we encounter in life are constantly interacting thus influencing a person’s life. If this were not true, then we would be able to predict the behavior and character of a person from the moment they were born. How these factors interact is still unknown today and they remain largely unpredictable in a person’s life. And that’s what makes life interesting. Be it as it may, I’m eager to witness all that you are and will do!
'Learning is a gift even when pain is your teacher.' -James Garner
As I said, I cannot explain everything because I want you to observe and experience life from your point of view. As you grow up, there are things you will need to stand up for. Like your voice, your space and most importantly guard your joy and nothing should take it away. It’s your inner power. Guard your joy.
Learn to trust the Lord, Proverbs 3: 5-6 says “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding...” trusting in God will enlighten you on how to develop your values, personal principles and wisdom.
There is a difference between being religious and having faith. One is a movement and the latter is about personal experience. The relationship you develop with the creator that’s what counts.
If you want to know why in the population of 7 billion plus, what your purpose of existence is, then go direct to the Creator through prayer and meditating on the word of God. God speaks to those who wait on Him.
In your early age, you’ll think that what you’re doing, you’re doing it for me for your teachers, or your friends, but no; every decision will first impact you, then me [obviously] or anybody involved. So be careful, and choose wisely. Maybe to help you, make sure your mind, body and soul are in harmony with every decision you make.
My father uses physics as a perfect example for dealing with life. ‘If an object is at rest, it stays at rest unless a net force acts on it,’ that’s Newton’s law. If you keep your mind dormant, you’ll not learn, thus you won’t have knowledge. Be curious, crave for information, because an empty mind is the devil’s workshop. Information will guide you and give you clarity when making important decisions.
Now, allow me to tell you about worry; the fear of facing the future brings worry evidently. Because we humans, we are limited. We face the future with hope not by facts and evidence. Talking of uncertainty of life, you my child, life is about taking risks, follow your heart and do what gives your heart peace. Avoid approval and validation, depend on your peace of conscious.
From the pregnancy phase, I had a moment of doubt; doubting my ability for motherhood. Fearing that I’d f**k it up. The constant anxiety! At the same time, the idea of you, the power within me, the life overflowing in my veins. You, my dearest child, gained ground from the very start, and empowered me to do what I always thought I couldn’t.
In brief my child, don’t doubt yourself. Worrying is a waste of time. Good things and bad things happen. Keep your head high.
Problems my love, the world is not short of them. Before you can solve a problem, many more come. Sometimes at ago. When that happens, first chill. It’s not the end of the world. Don’t panic and decide with pressure. Put problems in categories. Which is important, important and urgent and most urgent and most important. So when problems come at once, classify them and deal with them with a sober mind.
You need to understand exactly what the problem is. That may sound obvious, but people often have trouble solving problems because they lack basic diagnostic skills. Sometimes that’s because they haven’t defined the problem clearly enough. Which brings me to conflict. When you see people having conflicts, most of the time it’s their failure to recognize a problem and they end up blaming each and define one as a problem.
But you my sweet-pie, you need to figure out the problem before you blame the other person. You need to learn to look at the situation from the other person’s perspective. Know where they are coming from then sit and talk about it.
There’s no script for making it in life, just by continuing to exercise, experiment step by step, it becomes fun to solve problems, to accomplish a task.
In life, be who you are. Be crazy, be smart, be foolish, try, laugh and love. The people who matter will appreciate who you’re and those who don’t matter, you will never be enough. Overall, always have a teachable spirit.
Things change. Change is a factor of life they say. Nothing is permanent. So human behavior is dynamic, humans are complex. Sometimes, the people you would take a bullet for, are the same people behind the gun.
My beloved child, soon you will have to stand for a cause. It’s normal. The cause can be religious, humanitarian, and political or business oriented. What you need to know, in this world everyone is after something. Then you will start to associate with people, classmates, workmates and maybe teammates. Therefore, you will need to know how to pursue your cause.
First and foremost my child, don’t follow the mass. The mass will mislead you. The mass got no opinion. The mass profits politicians. Finally, everyone goes to his home and eats what they prepared on their table. Make sure you have where to turn back too. Ensure you have food on your table. Be friendly, but also be your own person. Be independent. Work smart. Resist pressure at all cost. Remember, when things don’t go your way, never be shy to turn to me. I will always be there for you.
My darling, resist evil by doing good. Some people will do you evil, intentionally or purposefully, it’s hard to predict peoples’ behavior and intention. You’re responsible for your actions and intentions. You can’t control how and why people treat you the way they do. But you can control how you react to it. Be slow to react. Be forgiving and welcoming. People do things not necessary how they have planned it. I have come to understand that humans, do according to the door they have opened in them. In us humans, inhabits good and evil. So it’s hard to conclude that one is good or bad but depends on which door opened.
Like some animals are meant to kill each other to live symbiotically for a lifetime, human beings too, live like sharks to be successful, to be rich, they choose themselves. Oh my child, you heard me well, they chose themselves. That sound like ego, yes it is. Humans can be bad. But really bad when ego is at the front seat.
You’ll be shocked to see some people getting comfortable sucking blood out of you, to get the best of you at a low cost. We call that capitalism. I hope you won’t be a magnet to such people. Tray your own thing. The world is big and be ready to create your own world. You may find yourself on cross roads on the journey to create your own world, keep trying nobody has a magic formula, learn not to give up on things you want and never give up on yourself. Practice patience.
Talking of patience, first you need to be patient with yourself. Take step by step. Avoid hurrying but be quick. Hope you understand my child. Yes in this world, we are on pressure not to be left out, we have deadlines, and everything is done on time. Well, life has its own way. Don’t rush for elevators when there are stair cases. Do that exercise, it will teach you that in life there is no short cuts. Also by taking stair cases you will learn that every step to another step, energy and patience is required. You will also know that after one challenge lays another challenge ahead.
Through my life experience, nothing comes on a silver platter, life will throw shit at you, and you’ll know that you’re alive when you’re able to feel it. Do not fear hardships or defeats through that God will reveal himself to you. You are not alone. Always remember that. The stress, fear, euphoria, anxiety, and dear, you wish not to miss it.
As you embark on your journey to growth, there’re two or three maybe more I want you to know about power. Power is good, when used to improve the life of people.
Power dents to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts absolutely!
Power is the ability to influence others or events. There’re different types of power, but I’m not going to go into that, you’ll get time to understand. I just want to emphasize on personal power. Every human being holds power from within, because existence in itself is power. Someone with strong personal power is focused on their self-efficacy and ability to cooperate with others. They lead by example. They are inspiring. They influence their peers by fostering a positive worldview. They are assertive but respectful, successful but humble, and driven but stable.
Dear child, open your eyes. Not everything you see is white or black.
Somethings will shock you. Fraud is out there, open your eyes. Autocrats feed citizens with fear to keep power. When people are afraid, they need protection – assurance. So the game keeps going; taking away personal freedoms and rights in exchange of safety. However this kind of trade doesn’t guarantee sustainable peace and safety that the ordinary people seek. I call it a bad trade. Avoid selfish interests.
The problem, people seem to congratulate the bewildering sway presented to them.
The rights activists who tend to speak out on our behalf risk their lives on our watch. The worst part, we do nothing. You ask yourself; to whom shall we turn to? We celebrate those who chant the ruler.
Those who were doing us some good, who knew it was never enough but hoped to improve a little by living. Shall we be courageous enough to speak out? It’s the decision that every civilization has to make.
Despots narrate and twist stories according to what benefits them, and it serves them well as long as they hold power. When they laugh, the atmosphere bursts with laughter, and when they cry, the little children die in the streets. They engage in filial cannibalism and eat their own young. And the bizarre thing is, you’ll study some of them at school and your knowledge will be measured by how well you remember every detail about them. Yeah, it’s crazy!
As Herbet Hoover said; ‘It is paradox that every dictator has climbed to power on the ladders of free speech. Immediately on attaining power each dictator has suppressed all free speech except his own.’ One rational voice is dumb consequently slain.
Some will even quote the Bible to convey their message and disguise themselves as holy with substantial reasons to incessantly rule. My little heart, you are free to support any politician you want but mostly love your people, your compatriots without being tribal. Be clear in your ideology. Understand the deference between the love of those who rule over you and the love of the country. Look for what benefits your country people as a whole, render social justice, be courageous but be wise to see another day. I call that patriotism.
My baby, beware of fraudulent behavior, the abuse of power is also seen in church. Be wise. Have a discernment mind. A number of ‘servants of God’, through the clergy, select, cultivate, protect, defend, and produce sexual abusers who molest young children, wife beaters, slaughterers, and robbers.
Beware, those who are given responsibility to take bread & wine and make Jesus Christ present at the altar, also have the ability to divide people with hatred. They’ll preach the evilness of possessions, and the next day you’ll see those wearing stolen diamonds with expensive properties – land, cars, hotels, banks, and keep on demanding the offerings in the same pulpit.
People who are granted the power to give justice are also capable of falsely condemning others. People who are honored to give life, bring peace are the ones with great power to do the opposite. The difference is integrity.
I am aware that unless I identify and comprehend my calling on earth, my power too might run corrupt as lie limp and un-serving as an unconnected wire.
Last but not least don’t be afraid, I’ll never let you down in this life or another. However mysterious or great life can be, you exceed every little meaning it has to me. You are the thought I fail to put into words!
Now take up your mantle, the world is yours to run!
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Bob
05/05/2023This is a breath taking story and provocative at the same time.
The combination of art of telling a story and easy style to read has probably made Diane Uwamariya one of the emerging writters. i have been reading her stories now for a year i think, i have to adimit that when you begin to read her article, you can't stop without reading all of it.
Congrats Diane
Proud of You
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Lillian Kazmierczak
05/03/2023Diane this was a beautiful letter to your child! So full of love and wisdom.
ReplyHelp Us Understand What's Happening
Lillian Kazmierczak
05/10/2023This was such a beautiful letter! Congratulations on short story star of the day!
COMMENTS (4)