Every person experiences their own internal battles. On the street, in line, at work, we cross paths with unsung heroes: those who smile despite their anguish. Those who celebrate the small victory of getting out of bed after a devastating los. Or those who fight the toughest battle against an illness with a brave smile.
These are invisible battles, but no less real. That’s why I firmly believe that life must be lived. Because, despite all the daily stress Cubans experience. They always draw on that innate strength to overcome socioeconomic circumstances. Think less, risk more, dream big, and never give up in the face of the inner storm that our emotions unleash.
It’s the same fiber that allows you to face cancer and that drives you to seek creative solutions in the face of scarcity. Life doesn’t pause while problems are solved. Life is, precisely, what happens in the midst of them.
Furthermore, it’s okay to have a day where you don’t feel complete. Where the dark circles under your eyes can’t be covered up and the tiredness overwhelms your limits. Also where the presence of that absent relative escapes the boundaries of your soul. Futhermore where the battle against cancer is difficult after chemotherapy. We are human, and we have the right to let our battler’s batteries run out by the second.
But this call to life isn’t a toxic message of unmitigated positivity. On the contrary, its greatest success lies in humanizing everyday life. Validating exhaustion, sadness, and pain isn’t an act of defeat, but of honesty. It’s what allows resilience to be authentic and not a mere pose.
So, enjoy every moment, no matter how small: daily conversations with your mother. A TV series you haven’t seen, or a trip you have planned are small pleasures and moments you’ll remember in the future.
I read in a book the phrase: “Don’t be afraid to live, break your snout, your heart, and your soul, for life wasn’t given to us to be returned intact, but lived.” And I agreed because life isn’t a museum to be preserved and watched pass by. But a battlefield and a place of enjoyment with all its consequences.
By: Arlenis Betancourt Yañez
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