Author: Dr Bernadette Wong
People say sitting all day waiting for just one client is foolish.
But to me, this waiting isn’t empty—it’s rare stillness.
A chance to gather myself, settle my thoughts, even quietly hope—
for that one guest who’ll walk in, carrying their story.The meeting may be brief, but it’s enough to watch their brows soften,
shoulders lighten, the spark return to their eyes.
Is that really so foolish?I, too, once wished to find a therapist like myself—
someone I could pour my heart out to, and be gently held by.
But I’ve come to realize there’s only one me in this world,
so I’ve learned to be my own therapist.To sit with myself when loneliness, sorrow, or disappointment rises,
not rushing to escape, but slowly untangling the unspeakable feelings.
Some days I feel I’m doing well; other days, I wonder if I’m just being silly,
wavering between “strength” and “vulnerability.”Seeing others in pain, I ache too—
but I remind myself: to hold someone up, I must stand firm first.
After walking this path for over a decade, I’ve finally learned—
true maturity isn’t about never falling,
but knowing how to gently pick myself back up.Every day, I try to see myself with fresh eyes,
so the road feels easier, the heart a little lighter.
Maybe what others call “foolish” is just a persistence they don’t understand—
and this persistence, it turns out, is the tenderness I hold dearest.
(Note: “戇居” is a Cantonese term that blends “foolish” with a sense of naive persistence—I kept the original as a title to preserve its cultural nuance.)By