Is This What Faith Looks Like?

I used to study in a well known girls school in a small town surrounded by hills I joined in class 4 and I stayed in the school hostel Everything felt new and unfamiliar the place the people the rules I tried to adjust but I was never really like the other kids I used to stay alone most of the time I didn’t talk much I wasn’t active like them I wasn’t smart or good at anything I didn’t smile much either Maybe that’s why one of the sisters from the hostel told my dad I was like my grandpa like I had some kind of brain disorder or something just because I was different from the other students out there At that time, I didn’t understand what she meant. I just knew it didn’t feel nice to hear. Later, I found out my grandfather had some kind of mental illness, and suddenly it felt like they were comparing me to him. Like they were saying I was not okay too. And all of that just because I wasn’t like the other kids. Just because I didn’t smile or laugh like them or run around making noise. I was just different. She never came and spoke to me. Never asked how I was feeling. Never asked why I was so silent. She just looked from far and decided I had a problem. It’s kind of crazy how people can label you so quickly just because you don’t fit into their version of normal The only time I used to smile was when my mom and dad came to visit me that was the only time I felt like I mattered like someone actually saw me But I still remember what that sister said to my dad she told him I was like my grandfather that maybe something was wrong with me and they should probably keep me somewhere else not in the hostel At that age I didn’t even understand what she meant but it didn’t feel nice Later I found out my grandfather had mental health issues and I realized they compared me to him just because I was quiet and stayed to myself She never talked to me never asked me how I was doing she just assumed things about me based on nothing I still don’t understand why people are like that so fast to judge maybe it gives them a sense of control or maybe they’re just afraid of what they can’t understand What surprised me the most was that she was someone who worshipped God someone who was supposed to be kind and understanding but she judged me so harshly without even knowing me I thought people like her were meant to show love and care but instead she made me feel like something was wrong with me just because I was quiet and different It really made me question how someone who prays every day who talks about faith and compassion could be so cold to a child. But now I have realize that being different is not a flaw it is a kind of strength And now when I look back I do not feel anger as much as I feel pity for people who choose to break others just to feel whole themselves. I’m not writing this to spread hate or point fingers I’m just sharing what I went through what I kept inside for so long If even one person reads this and feels understood feels a little less alone then maybe that’s enough(: .THANK YOU♡.