The conversation (Part 2)

“They say you are proud.” You can’t speak the language? And now you feel bad? Oh dear… **You are so much better than this.** You know that, right? Then why are you allowing their opinionto determine your entire day? I know. It’s hard. Especially when you genuinely want to communicate,but the words just won’t come. And somehow, the silence gets translated into pride. You’re not proud. You just…**don’t know what to say.** Communication is key, they say. But what happens when you don't have the key? What happens when you understand every word they say,you know exactly what they mean,you even have the answer in your head— but your mouth? **Your mouth did not attend that class.** 😭 And that can hurt. Because how do you explain that it isn't your faultwhen the very thing you're trying to explainrequires the language you don't speak? Your mother’s languagewasn't really a big part of your upbringing. You picked up the little you could.You understand more than you can say. You can listen. You can follow. You can laugh at the jokes. You can even know exactly what they are saying. But when it's your turn to respond… **Ẹhn.** Suddenly, everybody is looking at you. And someone has already concluded: “She thinks she's too big.” “She's proud.” “She can't even speak her own language.” But… **Is that really fair?** Your parents wanted you to go to school. They wanted you to learn. They wanted you to speak properly,communicate confidently,and perhaps one day sit among kingsand know exactly what to say. They prepared you for the worldthey thought you were going into. They just didn't knowthat somewhere along the way,you would need another kind of preparation too. The preparation to return homeand speak the language of home. Unfortunately, they didn't knowthey were leaving out a very important pieceof your life. But how do you take that? With bitterness? No. Because they wanted the best for you. They were doing what they thought was best. So now… **What do you want for yourself?** You want to communicate? Then communicate. Learn the words. Learn the language. Mix the English. Mix the mother tongue. Make mistakes. Laugh at yourself. Try again. Because communicationis bigger than the words that leave your mouth. Sometimes it is your expression. Your gestures. Your willingness to listen. Your effort to understand. Your effort to be understood. Sometimes, you don't need perfect grammar. You just need to say, “I'm trying.” Because at the end of the day, **communication isn't only about what you say.** It's about what you **communicate.** So no… Don't let somebody call you proudbecause you couldn't speak a languageyou were never properly taught. But also— don't let that be the end of your story. If you want to learn it, **learn it.** Your parents gave you one kind of education. Now you can give yourself another. And maybe one day,you'll walk into that room, understand everything, speak confidently, mix your words anyhow you like, and smile when someone says, “Ah! So you can speak it?” And you'll say, **“I'm learning, joor.”** 😂 Have you ever been seen as proud or been so reserved before because you couldn't commuicate in your mother's language?

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