I never thought my life would turn out like this. I never even considered the possibility. Never imagined it. Never dreamt it. Never spoke of it. Never even jested that I might end up among the worn-down souls, living a mundane and unhappy existence. A life devoid of significant meaning or purpose. My presence on this earth feels interchangeable with my absence, as though it wouldn’t matter whether I was here or gone. I always believed an empty, unfulfilled life, with little

In the Book of Job, Job lamented, “Why won’t God give me what I ask? Why won’t he answer my prayer? If only He could go ahead and kill me. What strength have I got to keep on living? Why go on living when I have no hope? Month after month I have nothing to live for, when I lie down to sleep the hours drag, I toss all night long for dawn. My life makes no sense. He won’t let me catch my breath. He has filled my life with bitterness. Should I force God? Should I take Him to cou

...I have wandered down countless paths, chasing different dreams, but every attempt has been in vain, each one ending in disappointment. I feel deeply unfortunate, steeped in bad luck. At times, I wonder whether I am bound by some unbreakable curse, the sort of explanation a traditional African might reach for in the face of relentless misfortune. Unlike fairy tale princesses whose curses are always lifted with a kiss or a touch of magic, mine appeared destined to remain wor