Do Not Apologise for Your Existence

I don't know what possessed me to recount this little anecdote, but I think people are so often inclined towards pleasing others that they forget their own value, so here it is...

The twilight holds no less value,
so why should your twilight years?
[image from Canva]

I was returning from an old friends house in a bit of a bad neighbourhood, it was starting to get late and there weren't many people on the streets, I suppose that may have influenced the situation somewhat, but the principle remains the same.

Me and a different friend began walking home and had to go down a dimly lit stairwell; an older lady was struggling up the stairs, audibly wheezing, along with two younger members of the family helping her. As you'd expect, my friend and I waited patiently at the top of the stairs and chatted, neither of us were in a rush. The three took a few minutes to reach the top of the stairs, carefully and gently helping their elderly relative back home.

It wasn't a large set of stairs, nor was it really a large enough length of time to care, yet as they reached the top, the younger lady who had helped turned to my friend and I and apologised.

I know British social conventions are based around manners to the point of fault. Normally I wouldn't bat an eyelid, yet as she apologised for the existence of her loved one I felt a strange sadness, realising that she felt obliged to do so.

So I say to anyone reading, by all means apologise for mistakes, faults, accidents. But please never apologise because you or a loved one is simply there. If the person who had to wait for you is offended, then that's a problem all of their own and of no consequence to you.

I'm aware this is a very specific situation, but I feel it has wider implications. Only after I had noticed it then did I begin to see it in everyday life, people effectively regretting the fact they inconvenienced another, no matter how briefly.

Whether others like it or not, we are all here and we have fought from square one, before we could even comprehend our own existence, to exist as we are.

You are valuable, and you belong.

Thank you for reading.
A thetalkingduck original

I'd like to know if this is the same in other countries or if you've ever experienced something similar, let me know in the comments!
I'm looking to improve my presentation as I'm not used to writing blogs, let me know how I can do so please :)