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My Tribe, My People, My Heroes.

Thank you for your supportive steps to bring me here!

By Lenita LeiPublished 2 years ago 11 min read
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My Tribe, My People, My Heroes.
Photo by Tim Marshall on Unsplash

To my Tribe, my heroes. You know who you are, this is my tribute to you!

First and Foremost, Mum.

Thank you, Mum, dearly for not only being my maternal parent. Sweet compassion, like a chocolate block mixed with the comfort of jumping into a pile of cushions. Even if I didn’t know you as my mother, I would seek to learn your wisdom ways.

Thank you for standing in the way of the crashing waves, allowing only bubbles and foam to wash over me. As I grew, you began to let me embrace the full crashing wave, learning how to swim.

Thank you for being the lifeguard on the jet ski; letting my stubbornness run wild, yet still rescuing me.

Liana Mikah on Unsplash

Thank you for setting up the calendar not to play hopscotch but to learn prioritization.

Your qualities like a lolly jar, shall I pick pink or maybe blue? You are beyond generous, kind, selfless, thoughtful, detail orientated. Like a shaman holding onto a totem of wisdom. If only I could touch that totem, that’s where it’s stored right? Educating me on the ways of right and wrong and in between, guiding me even now when I enter crossroads.

Never mind sports and their coaches, you are an all-in-one package, including the cheerleader! As you journey alongside, we’ve gone over mountain ranges, vast meadows, forests, and sludgy water. Even when I cannot see you, my heart beats in a peaceful rhythm knowing you’re with me. Like a park ranger with a double degree as a guidance counselor.

Thank goodness you’ve retired from your nursing carer, just think the bucketloads that would roll in with all the skills and occupational titles you’ve gained.

When the clouds beckon to steal my light, you are there. When I’ve gone too far and danger lurks, pinching at my heels, you are there. When I drag myself inside with tears washing my face, you are there. Even as I gaze onward to the next big picture, you are there reminding me of the tiny stepping stones. Thank you, Mum, for being my number one fan, for being the one who has shaped and guided me. I love you forever.

Yes! Run ahead, sibling!

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The next best thing in a family is a sibling. Even better when they are older. To this, I thank my brother. I am so thankful for the years you insisted to be first, the winner, to know more, to be better. Like how the stove is hot and you don’t put your hand on there. That lying yields in punishment. That getting ahead can have its consequences. That being in a cave of solidarity can yield greater results than following the crowd. That getting two scoops of ice cream is better to share with another.

And thank you for alerting the cashier to check I was legal age, for once it was great to feel and be reminded that I am in fact younger than you. I reminisce this moment as you were also checked to be of legal age!

Thank you for understanding the needs of my sensitive nature and preferring our conversations to be in dark theme, just like on the computer.

Thank you for the good luck wishes and the vantage points to my queries.

Thank you for going ahead.

Connections, Cousins, Sisterhood.

Katarzyna Grabowska on Unsplash

Not siblings but equally close, cousins. I am thankful for my four, girl cousins. Three older yet all showing what life with sisters would have been. Girls I am grateful to you for sharing in my brother’s role of going before me.

Thank you for the conversations my brother wasn’t willing to have.

Thank you for the insight into life, like the turbulence of plane rides just like the path to adulthood and beyond.

Thank you for sparkling as how rare gems capture sunlight, especially on days where storm clouds wouldn’t have done justice, yet you shined on anyway.

Thank you for your competitive nature, teaching the game rules for life, even if I didn’t believe those rules.

Thank you for taking me in like the ugly duckling, even though you make up your own sisterhood.

Thank you for the pre-worn, pre-loved items, leaving me feeling like a princess.

As a tree gains wisdom and strength each year, so too does the family. Thank you for being part of my family as we grow our own sproutlings now.

Tender soul, youngest Cousin.

I am truly thankful. I recall fond memories of blank pages sprawled on Pappa’s office desk and additional HB pencils when you pulled up a seat.

Jessica Burnett on Unsplash

Rainy days that couldn’t dampen our spirits, as we eagerly waited in luxurious leather seats, while the scent of popcorn and baked goods waft around. In the darkened room the only light from the title on the screen revealing: The Hobbit.

How thankful I am for you being the youngest, for when we converse there is an immediate resonance.

Even now as time has aged us both, we share in a deeper level of fates that shouldn’t have occurred. Horrors that have stripped us of our innocence and beauty. Yet together we can share in a new strength. Thank you, truly, for your understanding.

Beyond the seed pod known as family including its safety, there is an exterior of the plant, where the friendship fort grows. When the vine of a passionfruit reaches for a new place, it clings to the strength of another branch. These are the bonds of friendship; a crossed path with a kindred spirit.

Slow Start = More Memories.

James, our connection has been a slow birth, much like that of a plant, or as George Washington states.

“True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity, before it is entitled to the appellation.”

During school, we shared some of the same classes, sat near each other, bounced that tennis ball back and forth. Lined up for English class earlier than needed, you questioned my frequent sighs. You saw me in a different light when the student body discovered my spare time was engulfed in video games. Questions arose, curiosities heightened, my account was shared.

Like a horse and zebra, both are aware of the similarities yet held back by the striking differences.

Vanya Five Drive By: ImgFlip 2020. The Umbrella Academy

We speak the same language, yet at the time had vastly different interests. Except for the strong, addictive hold of World of Warcraft. Here we relied on teamwork; on the other showing up, being present; understanding, learning more; being up to speed. Gaining friends, moments, and inside jokes. A time when life felt frozen. Peering back to see how it shaped us. Now we reminisce – or rather I do through your ongoing gaming!

Even now, you stand as the one person who I never held a bad vibe for missing my wedding. Doesn’t matter in the end as some ties don’t last forever, though I’m glad we have, and I hope we continue to.

In the beat of my...steps?

In similar ways, my friendship with Isabel formed back in school. In fact, during the sanest part of the entire school week, Friday night. Hearing Usher’s Yeah with beats of basketballs and guys screaming victory. A moment for mouths to be silent while connection grows through shared activities like dancing.

Fred Moon on Unsplash

We both had been to this crowded venue many times before, yet fully connected when realized we are also in the same grade. Our interests were as different as our places of origin, yet something bonded.

Time treated us with a hard blow and a punch in the face as we untied our ways. Until we both landed on the same rocky path during the pandemic. Scars and battle wounds, horror stories, not wished upon others. Now, like sisters rising for battle, refusing to be defeated - we lean on each other for support. Gaining from each other as we listen to Against the Current – Legends never die, surely this is our theme song? I am beyond thankful to share this journey with you, Isabel!

Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Soul Sister.

Sam Manns on Unsplash

Another kindred spirit, soul sister even, is with Katherine. In many ways, our backstories share some similar components. Earlier on I would hear stories of you Katherine, moments to define your character, your perseverance, your dedication to humanity, your compassion, and kindness. I began thinking – Woah I wonder if I will ever meet her. Thank goodness Amanda thought to introduce us!

With devotion and mindset on things greater than ourselves, we begin to share our first common bond. Years’ worth of thankfulness to your wisdom and insight, Katherine. The way you conduct and carry yourself. Even now worlds apart, your letters touch my core, motivating me to press forward. The glimpse provided from photos and stories is captivating.

Thank you for keeping me motivated, for being a measure of accountability and so much more! Thank you for believing in my writing, always encouraging me to do and achieve more!

Abstract Ideas, Cryptic Code, Friendship in a Rubrics cube.

Marko Blažević on Unsplash

Finally, a deep thank you to the one who connects with abstract ideas. The one whom I know sees into me like clear glass. How thankful I am for our friendship that comes in leaps and bounds. For one time when you bounded, I was filled with anxiety and dread. A lifeless routine with no path forward. A lake once filled with confidence and life, drawing others in. Yet only murkiness and darkness surround.

Loukas, thank you beyond words for your vast perspective and vantage point. Your ability to see the world from a great dimension is a crucial aspect of who you are.

Thank you, for knowing me prior and seeing me in the depth of death. The thin, small trickle of a stream flowing into my stagnant lake, you helped carve out new trenches. You opened my mind to the grander possibilities. Reshaping the scene to allow multiple currents to purify the once murky water.

In the present day, the path of recovery has been long; I feel almost rejuvenated and refreshed. Once more able to share my energies with those drawn to the lake. Thank you, Loukas, for bringing me back to myself. I wouldn’t be here today without your support, encouragement, and alternative points of view. Thank you for believing in me when I couldn’t do that for myself. Freedom drifted from a concept into reality.

I know setbacks are all around, yet there’s always another way to travel.

“Your setback is just a set up for your comeback.” – Steve Harvey

Loukas, you saw my struggle with perfectionism, and refusal to fail. Through your aid, I began to see growth only possible BY failing.

For a time, you strongly gripped my hand, then started to let go. The ability to continue was like walking through a dimly lit tunnel. I wanted your hand, to reach for your safety, yet knew you couldn’t continue forward with me. Thank you for letting me do it on my own.

Medium By Marissa Hallac

The Finale, The Punchline: My Mentor.

Now to the newest and most important person in my tribe, my mentor Elizabeth. While I was a teen, I longed to be in one of those support programs where I needed a Big Sister or someone to be my mentor. Too afraid to speak of the traumas surrounding, fearful of what others may say. After all, there were my Mum, my brother, and my cousins for support, along with my growing list of peers. The help I needed was deeper, like a young girl constantly wiping her wet face into her elbow, being told “Shhh, hey it will be ok”. The hurts were unable to heal. And my younger self was right: I did need a mentor! Never too late to try something new.

Last year I went after what I needed and connected with Elizabeth.

At the first meeting, nervousness consumed within. What if we didn’t get along? How long may I need to go through this introduction process to find a rightful connection?

Thankfully those anxious thoughts fell away while we started to understand each other. Sharing together at a small table, sipping on our warm drinks while our jackets fought the frontal blows. Your light and way of life bought me from the darkness, drawing me in. Within the process of a year, your kind words informed how much I had grown. How much I had overcome.

Elizabeth, having you in my life has filled a gap. Different from my mother, I needed guidance, help, and support, from a nurturing yet new perspective. You’ve seen into my heart and my inner girl wounds. You’ve heard my stories and helped me to share them with body and life. I am so thankful to you for imparting your wisdom, your stories, and your hugs.

For anyone seeking a mentor, yes, it is the next right step. Get one!

Please note for confidentiality reasons the names of people have been changed. For those of you who know who you are in this story – my deepest gratitude and thankfulness!

humanity
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About the Creator

Lenita Lei

Life is intense, as is suspense!

Tune in as words come to life through your imagination.

Fiction and Non-Fiction: Just let me write!

Australian-Finnish <3

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