T.I.R.E.D.

The five-letter word that some individuals associate with being exhausted and/or fatigued. However, for some, this five-letter term holds a deeper meaning.

The definition of tired can be described as being “in need of sleep or rest; weary.” When one is tired, one typically takes a nap and gets some rest. Although everyone has experienced tiredness at least once in their lifetime, if not every day, this simple word, “tired”, can mean so much more to others.

At a younger age, I used to always say to my mother, “Mommy, I’m tired.” “Then go to sleep”, she would always say, and I would do just that because I was in fact in need of sleep. As I grew older, the word “tired” came to represent more than just needing sleep; it also meant being exhausted by everything life had to offer.

When one says they’re tired, they typically are referring to physically being tired and a desire for rest. I walk around school sometimes with a blank stare and people tend to ask me “Melissa, are you okay?” I always say, “Yes, I’m just tired, thank you for asking though,” with a smile on my face.

Little do they know how emotionally, physically, and mentally tired I am. 

After having a full 8-9 hours of sleep every night, I wake up every morning feeling tired. I get ready feeling tired. I eat breakfast feeling tired. I go to school feeling tired. I eat lunch feeling tired. Dinner, tired. With every daily activity I am engaged in, I am tired. Tired for me is numbness.

Having to accept what society has to offer holds so much weight to the point where it may seem unbearable. You feel drained, exhausted, worn out, and out of it along with many other unfathomable feelings. However, one tends to keep a smile on their face to hide away all the anguish and avoid any other questions that can reach them to their breaking point of realizing that someone truly cares and notices that they are in need of someone telling them that everything will be okay.

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you,” Michael Jordan once said. “If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” 

If you or someone you may know is experiencing mental tiredness and is tired of feeling tired, it is always best to remind yourself and/or that person that they have fought this long; they should continue to fight because better days are definitely bound to come. You simply have to wait and continue pushing through tough times until you realize the number of wonderful things and gifts life has to offer.

Perhaps in the future, when you ask someone if they are okay, really look deep into that person and go above and beyond to understand their answer. Never sit on close-minded questions, because that one response answer can just be someone wanting to be heard and told that they are not okay and they need a shoulder to lean on. Be that person to understand and listen to where they are coming from. 

Better days are coming; it’s all about patience.