Hum If You Don't Know the Words

by Bianca Marais

Privacy is not a concept my people understand or desire; we bear witness to each other’s lives and take comfort in having our own lives seen. What greater gift can you give another than to say: I see you, I hear you, and you are not alone?

I wanted to wipe away the tears that were running down his cheeks, but knew that removing the evidence of pain wasn’t the same as taking the pain away, which was what I actually wanted to do. I didn’t want him to be embarrassed by his tears either, so I smiled and allowed my own tears to fall free.