“Margret, come on, it was just a six-month relationship.”

“It was a long-distance relationship—you cannot keep whining about it and thinking about that guy forever. Move on now. It’s been more than a month since he broke up and left. How can you still be stuck at him? Why do you always have to get so attached? Stop being so sensitive and emotional; it is of no use.”

Everyone has constantly been telling this to Margret, and she has been totally exhausted listening to this every time.

So since John left Margret, she has been a total mess—desolate, clinically depressed toward things she once loved, kind of empty, and lost above all.

Just to give a brief idea of what happened: John and Margret met on a dating app seven months ago in lockdown. They started talking and had consistent virtual dates for six months till the lockdown ended. They stayed in different states, so they were only able to meet each other after the lockdown.

Over the months, John also gave her positive signals. I had warned her about him because I always felt that maybe John used her as an emotional scapegoat to escape his loneliness during the lockdown. But maybe, I was too pessimistic, and I didn’t want to influence Margret as I had never seen her this happy.

So, after the lockdown, they met a few times. John had traveled to our city for a week, and they hung out together, but soon after, John went back and ghosted Margret. A week later, John’s friend messaged her that John was getting married and had asked Margret to forget about him and to never contact him.

Margret was devasted after this. It’s been a month since she has smiled, and she is still waiting for closure.

Everyone has been telling her that she should not be too emotional about this and move on because it was hardly six months of long-distance, and such things are common nowadays. It was a fling, and she shouldn’t be bothered so much. But for a person like her—who feels too much about everything—it is hard.

Recently, she talked to me and told me that she feels apologetic about being emotional and sensitive, and she hates that part about her. She was feeling helpless about why she cannot be casual and was desperate to move on from John. Listening to this made me feel bad.

Being sensitive and emotional is a unique trait that a lot of people lack. Also, a lot of people from our generation choose to hide that authentic side of theirs.

Margret and I have been roommates and friends for a decade now, and she is actually the most genuine person in my life. She is one of a kind; her vibe is so positive; she is always helpful, and she would cross oceans for people she loves and cares for. Also, she tends to love them a little too soon and a little too much.

But isn’t this a rare trait to find these days? Why do people keep telling her not to be so emotional and sensitive? Why are these traits considered a weakness in today’s generation?

I have been pondering over this for a while now with no significant answer, but I feel that we have evolved to master the art of being inhuman in order to look strong, tough, and influential.

But I feel that being emotional and sensitive is not wrong. Instead, someone who is sensitive and emotional is strong and more influential because they can empathize and see through a person’s soul. We should stop mocking people for this—these people actually make the world a better place to be in.

I know it is difficult for them to overcome any setback because they feel too much and are exhausted mentally, but these are the same people whose strengths are unmatched—they are unique.

This is the unique trait a lot of us lack, and people like Margaret are the essence of this world.

In fact, I would say that people like her have extraordinary levels of emotional intelligence, and that’s why so many people are drawn and attracted to her vibe. She has a healing energy to her; she is healing people’s wounded souls and scars with her emotionality and sensitivity.

Never should anyone take away that trait from her—because if they do, they take away her compassion toward others. Trust me, the world needs more people like Margaret. Throughout the decade of my friendship with Margret, one thing I learnt is that the world does not need more people like John.

The world needs more people like Margret. Maybe John was sensitive and emotional too, but the fact that being casual is such a trend in our generation is the root of the problem why people have lost their ability to empathize and love selflessly and unconditionally.

We need to declutter such trends in our generation and root back to the core values of being a human.

We all need emotional support; we all need emotional strength—if we start using another human apathetically only to escape the boredom life throws at us, how are we even evolving? This was probably not the evolution Darwin wished for.

This new year, we should all collectively pledge on opening our hearts and emotional and sensitive side to the world and understand that being emotional and sensitive is not a weakness but a strength and that we all are born with it.

We should also collectively pledge to raise more sensitive and emotional children and not just cast these traits as a gender-specific role.

One thing I learned from Margret and her experience during the pandemic is that we all have that emotional side in us and that we all ought to let it thrive.

Imagine if we all start being more empathetic—this world would be such a beautiful place to be in. There would be fewer heartbreaks, and more content folks.

Also, people like Margret are the ray of hope to this world. They should never be apologetic about their ability to feel.

Margret is still not totally over John, but I am sure that she will soon. People like her take more time, but they come out like a Phoenix—they shine brighter and fly higher.

I am proud and blessed to be around a soul like Margret, and if you have such a person in your life: hold on to them.

~