Cocoon Diaries: Entry #9 – I’m Not Always Strong — But I Always Show Up (Even If With Crumbs in My Hair and Tea in Hand)

The Strength No One Sees
I’m not the rock, unshaken in the tide,
Nor warrior queen in armour, proud and bold.
But still, each day, I rise, no need to hide,
With stubborn heart, though tired and slightly rolled.

Some days I shine, some days I barely glow,
Some days I mumble, “What fresh mess is this?”
Yet still I show up — slippers, scarf in tow,
With lukewarm tea and beagle’s morning kiss.

My strength’s not loud, it’s quiet and unstyled,
It’s found in lists half-ticked and dinners late.
It’s stitched in hugs, in patient tone to child,
In staying kind though chaos tests my fate.

So no, not flawless — but I’m here, I try.
Even with dog hair smudged beneath my eye.

Superwoman? No, Thanks. I’m Fine With Semi-Woman.

Let’s get this straight:
I am not always strong.
I don’t glow in the dark.
I have never looked like a meme of a calm Zen goddess holding a coffee mug and whispering “I’ve got this.”

Some days I wake up, stare at my to-do list and seriously consider faking a mild fever just to stay under the blanket.

And yet — I show up.
Not like a power icon.
More like that aunt in a serial who appears in every scene holding snacks and sighing dramatically — but is somehow holding the whole family together.

My Ensemble Cast of Reality

Let’s talk about the support crew:

☕ My Tea:

Temperature may vary, but loyalty does not.

🐶 Loki (Beagle-in-Residence):

Thinks I’m a superhero, especially when I manage to open a packet of biscuits.
Stares lovingly even when I haven’t brushed my hair or have my long-lasting lipstick from two days ago still on my upper lip.

🐇 The Bunnies:

Unfazed.
I could be mid-breakdown and they’ll still look at me with,
“Feed us, mortal. Then you may weep.”

🧹 My Cook & House-help:

They see me try to balance everything.
Sometimes they quietly make halwa when they sense I’ve had a week.
That, my friend, is a Michelin Star act of kindness.

Showing Up Looks Different Every Day

Sometimes I’m the organized, checklist-ticking, braid-in-hair goddess.
Sometimes I’m in an old kurta, sniffing a spoon to check if the milk’s still good.

Some days I run homes and campaigns.
Some days I run from phone calls and responsibilities.

But I’ve learned this much: You don’t need to feel strong to be strong.

You don’t need a cape.
Sometimes, you just need to:

• Not scream at the 11th WhatsApp message that says “Urgent”.
• Smile at the dog even when he just pee-ed on your bedpost.
• Breathe. Blink. Try again.

The Myth of Constant Grace

Let’s throw it out.

There is no such thing as “graceful at all times”.
I have:

• Spilled tea on reports
• Attended Zoom meetings with one earring
• Forgotten birthdays but remembered to water the money plant
• Smiled at the same person who totally let me down (and then ranted in my head for two hours)

But that’s okay.
Because showing up isn’t about being flawless.

It’s about being faithful to the life you’ve built — even when you’re not in love with it at that moment.

So my Musings, again:

So here I am — not perfect, not always cheerful, not always composed.
But always showing up.

To love.
To manage.
To rescue.
To write.
To rebuild myself with leftover strength and borrowed smiles.

And occasionally — with a samosa in hand and a bunny on my foot. Or a beagle pawing me from behind my chair.

Because life may not give us medals for it —
But I see you, fellow try-er.
And I raise my half-drunk tea to your glorious, everyday resilience.

#CocoonDiaries

#Entry9

#EverydayResilience

#ShowUpAnyway

#BeagleCheerSquad

#BunnyBosses

#CrumbInHairStillHere

#PeacefulNotPerfect