I’m Proud of You
About the joy of empathy ❤
All of us want to know that someone is on our side.
The sound of the silver bells that call us to our dreams are forever heard in the quiet core of our heart. Whenever we trace our first footsteps outside of our comfort zone to follow that sound— we want to know that someone cares.
To hear someone else acknowledge and take pride in our journey helps us believe that we can progress onward. Our self worth is strengthened.
I’ve had the invaluable privilege of a warm and loving family. Their encouragement helped me believe in myself as a child. Whenever I saw my friends going through a transformative journey before me— this childhood reference gave me the wisdom to know how to respond. I repeated the special words that I had heard from my brother:
‘I’m proud of you.’
This always created a fulfilling moment. The smiles of these people turned so bright that it is impossible to erase them from memory. I have kept their stories in the glass box of my mind. I will share one of them with you now.
To take someone else’s success as your own is a happiness tonic that brightens the soul.
The story of a small and precious moment I shared with a friend.
As I stepped out of my first class on a random day, I ran into a friend I don’t often see. She is training to be an air hostess and remains immersed in the work most times. Even now as she walked towards me, her dress and makeup were pristine. Her chin length hair had every strand falling dead straight and out of her face. It was a standard worthy of a cabin crew aspirant. But the one feature that never changed was her big white toothed smile. I had seen it in place since first year.
She had been through truly difficult times. She had wept on my shoulder through a few of them. We talked about her problems and I tried to comfort and advice her. Despite everything, she managed to get through her long and exhausting routine day after day.
I deeply admired her for how she never stopped taking care of herself. The polished way she dressed and presented herself was a reflection of her resilient self image.
That day she gave me a surprise in the very first moment. She blurted out the news as soon as she reached me.
‘I went for an interview last week. Indigo Airlines selected me!’
Her smile kept widening as she saw me blink in surprise.
‘What?’ I stopped munching from my packet and turned to the other friend standing next to me. ‘Hold my chips.’
I hugged her tight and we almost toppled over with the force of it. After that I told every friend we came across in the hallways about what had happened. Later on we walked in the garden together and I asked her to tell me everything. The interview and beyond.
The garden was quiet.
White eucalyptus trees were rustling above us and making gentle shadows of their branches on the ground. Sunlight brightened half the tree canopies from the natural deep green hue to lighter shades flecked with gold. From high above the rays were piercing through leaves and falling upon our heads.
She told me that she was the only one in her batch to be selected. One of the only five in her institute. Since I am a believer in hugs — I gave her another one. Then I pulled back and said something that made her laugh harder. ‘None of us even have degrees yet. How dare you earn before us all? You’re younger than me!’
Then I sensed this was the moment for the special words. I told her about everything I had seen her go through and the way she had reached her dream. ‘I’m so proud of you.’
She didn’t say anything but just stood and smiled at me. It was a beautiful and starry eyed smile. It was steady and yet held a clear flicker of emotion. Strength and vulnerability merged together to create a balance that makes us all human.
It is a rare and special thing to see someone visibly feel worthier before you. Moments like these give life meaning.
To believe in someone else also helps us love ourselves because we see the capacity for goodness and empathy our own heart can have.
These special words can be used more often. They might strengthen someone more than we may ever know. They certainly strengthen us.
