Back in high school, I had a series of events that were funny, weird, and honestly a little scary at the time. Looking back now almost twenty years later, I can laugh about them, but in those moments, they felt unsettling.
ME AND AN OLD CLASS MATE
Every single early morning, my school uniform would go missing. Not the whole uniform, just my skirt. Day after day. Morning after morning. Those who went to school with me would remember this very clearly. It became a thing.
"Nero & her Skirt"
This felt like a spiritual issue but it was an envious human behind this.....(Story for another day)
I had my suspicions. I believed I knew who was either stealing or hiding it, but I had no proof. And in a situation like that, it would have simply been my word against theirs. So I stayed quiet and found ways to move on, even when it was frustrating and confusing.
Fast forward to today, and that experience reminds me of something deeper, how jealousy can exist even when it seems there’s nothing to be jealous of.
I wasn’t born with a silver spoon. I didn’t come from wealth. But I also never truly knew lack.
My mother made sure I had everything I needed. There were things I wished for, bicycles, teddy bears, Barbie dolls, that she couldn't get me as at that time. Yet somehow, I never felt deprived.
Friends and family filled in the gaps in the most beautiful ways. I learned how to ride a bicycle using my cousins bikes. I played with friends’ teddy bears. I styled baby dolls’ hair that didn’t belong to me. Love, sharing, and community quietly replaced material things, and I didn’t even realize it at the time.
Looking back now, I see that I was fortunate, not because I had everything, but because I had enough, and I had people, I was brought up in love.
Somewhere along the line, the skirt issue stopped defining my days. Life moved on. And now, as an adult, I’m grateful for every single experience, even the uncomfortable ones. Especially the uncomfortable ones.
Life Lessons I Took From It All
1. Jealousy isn’t always logical.
People can envy your peace, your confidence, your upbringing, or your sense of belonging even when you think you have nothing special.
2. Not having everything doesn’t mean you lacked anything.
Sometimes what we call “lack” is simply a different kind of abundance waiting to be recognized.
3. Community fills gaps money never can.
What I didn’t own, I experienced through others and that shaped me more than possessions ever could.
4. Silence can be a form of survival.
There are moments when speaking up isn’t about strength, but about safety and wisdom.
5. Time gives perspective.
What once felt scary can later become a story, a lesson, and even a source of gratitude.
Today, I look back at that girl with missing skirts and see resilience, innocence, and quiet strength. Life has a way of turning confusing chapters into meaningful lessons, if we allow ourselves the grace to grow through them.
And for that, I remain deeply grateful.
That skirt didn’t disappear because I had more than others. It disappeared because I had something that couldn’t be taken, borrowed, or copied: contentment. And sometimes, that alone is enough to stir discomfort in others....
Have you ever been in this situation...
Add comment
Comments