Nobody celebrates ordinary survival.
People celebrate graduations. New jobs. Engagements. Scholarships. Visa approvals. The post with "I'm excited to announce..." gets hundreds of likes before you've even finished reading the first sentence. But surviving a random Tuesday? Yooooh!!!No balloons.No cake. Not a choir singing in the background. Just another alarm tomorrow morning acting like yesterday didn't humble you.
You wake up already tired. Not sleepy... tired. There's a difference. You answer messages because if you don't, you'll be "changing." You smile because ukikosa someone will ask, "Kuna shida?" Then if you actually tell them the problem, suddenly they're busy. Kumbe they were just collecting information, not offering solutions.
Congratulations.
Your reward for surviving today...
...is another today tomorrow.
Life is unserious.
One minute it's teaching you patience. The next minute it's testing the same patience it just taught you. Sasa inataka nifanye revision ama?Everyone keeps saying, *"Everything happens for a reason."*Sawa.Where is the reason? Can I speak to management?Because at this point, life has been giving motivational speeches instead of refunds.
Social media nayo deserves its own court case.
Someone uploads a beach picture with the caption, "Soft life." Meanwhile the photo was taken during a three-hour stopover before they returned to seventeen pending bills. Another posts, "God did." Yes... but mwisho wa mwezi landlord pia did.
Perspective.
The internet has convinced us that everyone is winning except us. Kumbe half the people you're envying are one inconvenience away from asking, *"Mko na fifty bob nikurudishie kesho?"*We are all actors.Some just have ring lights.
The funniest thing is how people expect you to always be available. Emotionally. Mentally. Financially. Spiritually. Ukiwa online, reply. Ukiwa offline, explain. Ukiwa happy, celebrate them. Ukiwa sad, usisumbue watu. Wah... kumbe being a human being nowadays is a full-time internship. Na bado hakuna allowance.
Then they ask,
*"Mbona umenyamaza hivo siku hizi?"*Nothing.My brain is just running eight marathons at the same time while pretending everything is under control. You know... small small things. Character development. Premium package.The older I get, the more I realize peace is expensive.Not because it costs money.
Because people charge you guilt every time you choose it.The moment you stop explaining yourself, you're proud.The moment you stop chasing people, you've changed.The moment you protect your time, you're selfish.
Interesting.
So boundaries are offensive now?
Good to know.
Life also has a very interesting sense of timing.The moment you've finally convinced yourself, "At least nothing worse can happen today," your phone vibrates.Immediately your heart starts negotiating with God.
"Please usikuwe ni chenye nafikiria."
Because somehow notifications have become horror movies.
And don't even get me started on those "We regret to inform you..." emails.Regret?Me too.Finally we have something in common.
But here's the thing nobody says loudly.Not every day is meant to be productive.Some days your biggest achievement is simply not giving up.Some days all you've managed to do is get out of bed, drink water, shower and avoid saying something you'll regret.
Wallahi...
That's not failure.
That's survival.
And survival deserves more respect than pretending you've got life figured out.So if today felt heavy...If your plans failed...If your mood disappeared for no reason...If all you did was make it to bedtime...
Congratulations.
Seriously.
Because every problem that introduced itself this morning expected you to quit.
But you're here,Still breathing.Still hoping.Still somehow finding the strength to say, "Tutajaribu tena kesho."
Life has been throwing punches.
But clearly...It forgot you're Kenyan.We've survived school fees, blackouts, internet bundles ending at the worst possible moment, and "transaction failed" screens that appear with Olympic speed.
Hii?Tutapita nayo.One day you'll laugh at this chapter.Today isn't that day.Lakini ipo siku.Pole pole tu.Because sometimes winning doesn't look like fireworks.Sometimes winning looks like quietly whispering,
" Uzuri leo haijanimaliza."