Lekha sat at her desk, staring at her laptop screen. She had been working for this organisation as a senior human resources manager for over eight years and she loved her job. But lately, something felt off. Each morning, getting out of bed felt like a chore.
Over the last few years, Lekha had slowly given up on most of the things she once loved. Hobbies that used to bring her joy were now distant memories. She had stopped reading, painting and had even stopped meeting or making friends. But the hardest loss had been running. For years, Lekha had been an avid runner. She loved the thrill of training for marathons and crossing the finish line.
But over time, life had changed. Her career grew demanding. And as her family-centric responsibilities increased, her personal time for running shrank. Eventually, the running shoes were tucked away in some corner of a shelf.
One Saturday, while shopping for groceries, Lekha ran into an old college friend, Geetha. It had been years since they’d last spoken and seeing her brought back a ton of memories.
“Geetha! Wow, it’s been so long! How are you?” Lekha greeted her with joy.
“I’m good!” Geetha said. The two friends chatted away for over ten minutes and that’s when Geetha realised Lekha wasn’t her cheery self.
“You look exhausted, what’s going on?” she asked.
Lekha sighed, “I don’t know… I just feel stuck. I used to be so excited about work and everything, but now it feels heavy. I’m always tired and I don’t even have the energy to do the things I used to love.”
Geetha’s face softened, understanding her friend’s situation. “Remember when you used to run marathons? You loved the rush of the race, the energy. You were always so full of life after a good run.”
Lekha’s face brightened at the mere mention of it. “Yeah, I used to run a lot. It was such a great way to clear my head. But with the kids, work and everything, I just… cannot anymore.”
Geetha was gentle but stern with her next few words. “Life can get overwhelming. But just because we have careers and families doesn’t mean we should stop doing the things that make us feel alive. We’re not just moms or employees, you know? We’re people too. You’ve to make time for the things you love,” she said.
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