My Identity

Haneen wakes up one August morning feeling confused — as always. She lays on her bed thinking about everything she hasn’t done.

“Have you written at all?”

“You need to study, but don’t be too hard on yourself.”

“Remember to be helpful around the house today.”

“You were gonna start a diet.”

“Be equally kind to everyone, don’t be picky, and remember to pray.”

After sometime her throat dries from fear and she begins to cough, hoping that it would help heal the wounds she created. She finally gets up and goes to the restroom to get ready for another day in her summer break, knowing very well that it might be another useless day.

She bullied herself into believing that every single day of her life is a waste and she might as well give up on everything. For a while she was practicing the art of giving up, but today she felt its effects on her mental health. She cared too much about everything. After cleaning her face, she looks in the mirror, sighs, and then says, “Your name is Haneen.”