What are your support networks in this new country?

[Donte]

On my balcony I have a pond with a water feature that continually moves the flow of water in a cascade that falls from the top of an artificial rock into the pond and back again.

I always loved the sound of water. I grew up on the beach. I could hear the waves from my bedroom upon waking up each morning and smell the saltiness and seaweed in the air. I come from a country filled with islands and fishing boats.

Once, I had a water feature on the12th floor where I lived. Water follows me, no matter where I am. Or to be correct, I carry it with me. Even after my migration, as an adult, I find it essential for my wellbeing to be near water. To feel connected with my roots.

In my pond on the second floor, I have koi fish the last four years. They seem to be loving their home, as they’ve grown enormously. Each morning and evening I feed them. They come up and greet me and it gives me immense pleasure to see them eating and swimming around happily, carelessly. It is always a special time, the time I spend on my balcony, next to water.

I sometimes think that maybe our life resembles this pond. We are tiny and insignificant in the scheme of things, going on about our little lives, in a limited space of how many meters is allocated for our home, traveling to and from work daily, same streets, same landscapes, same faces and places. Even when we travel, we never go too far. We are bound on this earth. Held together by gravity.

Like those fish in the pond, others do so many things daily that maintain our existence, yet, we may be unaware about it or not think consciously of this. Little and big acts affect our wellbeing and mental health, our very existence. Others grow our food, others bring the water into the pipes, others build, construct, put in place everything that we need and want, so we can turn on a switch, push a button, turn on a tap etc.

We are all totally dependent on others for our survival. On each other. We are all limited within our little ponds (our reality) where we reside. Like those fish on my balcony, we will probably die if someone didn’t keep maintaining us, providing, working hard to ensure we can continue having our little worlds maintained and able to keep on living.

Who or what are some significant people or things that have kept you going in times of loneliness, strife, desperation?

Who or what has sustained you and helped you out when you were unable to look after yourself?

What are your support networks in this new country?

[Donte]

I have a glass water bottle which I carry around with me. In the car. At work. Down the street. At home. Next to my bed at night. It's not the first glass bottle that I have had.

In a desperate attempt to reduce my footprint and contribute positively towards restoring the environment and helping the sea life etc, but also for the numerous health benefits associated with the usage of glass versus plastic, I have tried on many occasions to carry a glass bottle with me. Only issue, they're heavy. And they break. They always break eventually. One I dropped coming out of my car. Another fell off my desk at work (I use my hands a lot and move my arms frequently when I talk). Another smashed at the sink while I was filling it up with fresh water...One by one they all had the same tragic fate.

For the last few months I've been using a glass bottle that I bought from the supermarket. It has hard, durable glass and you can put cold or hot drinks in it without the risk of breaking. It also has a thick rubbery surface wrapping around the bottle for a firm, non-slippery grip. I have dropped it a couple of times but surprisingly enough it didn't smash! Until tonight!

Coming out of the car again, and while carrying bags of shopping, my work files, laptop, wallet etc - bang! -It fell on the concrete basement floor of my garage. I picked it up and the rubbery surface covering the majority of the area of the bottle seems to have protected it from breaking. I thought to myself: 'Wow! That's the strongest bottle I've ever had. It seems unbreakable!'

It was only later on, while I tried to refill it with water that I realized the bottle was actually broken. The impact had smashed it but the external, thick, rubbery layer was still holding it together giving the impression that it was intact.

This made me think of us human beings. Often we look strong, independent, untouched by the harsh impact life has made on us. The traumas, heartbreaks, struggles and hardships of growing up, migrating etc seem to leave us untouched as the thick, protective layer of family, religion, culture and various other supports hold us together. However, often, underneath all that is a broken person, smashed and defeated, going through the motions and carrying on as if it hasn't been impacted. This couldn't be further from the truth...