We Were Never Meant to Fear Our Own Existence

From the moment we are born, we arrive with a full-throated declaration: I am here. We enter the world with no hesitation about our…

Photo by David Clode on Unsplash

From the moment we are born, we arrive with a full-throated declaration: I am here. We enter the world with no hesitation about our belonging, no second-guessing of our worth. We cry when we need something. We reach for what we desire. We laugh without restraint. We explore without shame. We do not worry about whether our presence is too much or whether we deserve to be here.

But at some point, we are taught to fear our own existence.

We are told to quiet down, to take up less space, to submit, to comply, to be “good.” We are taught that our bodies are problematic, that our desires must be disciplined, that our thoughts must align with what has been deemed acceptable. We learn that there are conditions to being loved, that some parts of us are too much, and that who we are needs to be managed, hidden, or controlled.

Religion often deepens this fear. It tells us that we are born broken, that we must spend our lives proving our worth, seeking redemption, and…