Dear Vulnerable Penguin,
Today, I’m talking about the invisible threads that keep our self-worth intact and what occurs when those threads begin to unravel.
You’re growing up quickly, body and mind. Some days, I struggle to keep pace with your questions, your wonder, your random queries about black holes and traveling through time.
And yet, there are times I catch you shrinking into yourself, uncertain, doubting, as if the mirror or the world is trying to tell you you’re not enough.
I see you struggling with who you are.
Perhaps it’s the tone of your friends, or how “cool” that other person appears on the playground. Perhaps it’s when you’re told you’re “too sensitive” or “too loud.” Perhaps it’s when you hear someone make a snicker at your writing or when you don’t win the quiz you studied so diligently.
That voice in your head? It begins to whisper, Am I good enough? Should I be more like them?
You know, there’s a story I’ve always found strangely comforting, the one about Shiva and Ganesha. It was shared by my grandmother and we spoke about it often in the past. When Ganesha was first created by Parvati and placed as a guard outside her chambers, he didn’t know he was divine or a God. He saw himself only as a child protecting his mother’s space. Then Shiva returned, didn’t recognize him, and in a fit of rage, well… chopped his head off.
That section still makes me groan.
But here’s where it gets rich, Ganesha needed to lose one identity to be afforded another. When Shiva substituted his head with that of an elephant, it wasn’t a Band-Aid. It was the moment Ganesha became a deity unto himself. Famous for wisdom, beginnings, and yes, for being a little unorthodox.
But you and I always wonder, did Ganesha feel like a stranger in a strange land at first? Did he gaze at his reflection and say, “Who even am I now?”
Like children do when they grow out of their nickname, their old clothes, or a version of themselves they’re no longer certain about.
Perhaps that’s the thing.
Your identity will sometimes be a patchwork.
You’ll have what you were taught you are, what the world perceives, what your heart knows, and what you’re still discovering. And even when things shift, your style, your voice, your friend group. The center of who you are remains anchored.
Like Ganesha, be wise, kind, and strong, despite the most interesting origin or birth story in the universe.
I want you to know, you are not a half-version of anyone else. Not a “work in progress” waiting to be perfect. You are full, right here, right now. Even on days when your hair won’t settle or your jokes fall flat. Even when you don’t win or feel invisible.
You are enough.
And if you ever need to remember that, come back to this letter. We’ll read it together, possibly over hot chocolate and some of your strange but wonderful LEGO stories.
Always rooting for you,
Maa
I’m participating in #BlogchatterA2Z
This reminder is not only for kids but we need it often too ! We too deal with identity crisis, don’t we ? And on some days, we also need to remind ourselves that we are enough.
Very well written, Pragnya !