Dancing Through the Darkness: One Woman’s Journey from Silence to Survival

 

By Shokwei Barsulai, Award-Winning Educator and Advocate for Mental Wellness

 In a world that often celebrates joy but hides struggle, one woman is choosing to dance — not just as celebration, but as a declaration.

Her name is not listed among celebrities or politicians. But in the quiet spaces between music and memory, her story speaks louder than headlines ever could.

Years ago, beneath the surface of smiles and lullabies, postpartum depression nearly stole her life. She was a mother, a partner, a friend — but inside, she was vanishing. “I almost didn’t make it,” she writes. “I came so close to disappearing.”

Mental health, particularly among new mothers, remains one of society’s most under-addressed crises. According to the World Health Organization, one in seven women experiences postpartum depression — yet stigma keeps many silent.

But silence is no longer her language.

Now, she dances. Not for Instagram likes. Not for entertainment. She dances because she is still here. Her feet move where a gravestone could have stood. Where cows might have grazed, she now breathes, laughs, and reminds others: survival is worth celebrating.

“I dance not for joy alone, but for survival,” she says. “For every breath I almost never took. For every woman still fighting in silence.”

This story is more than personal. It’s a call to action — to see the signs, to speak the unspoken, and to make space for healing.

As an educator, I see too often how trauma hides behind grades, behind politeness, behind perfection. But I also see how storytelling, movement, and truth can help young people — and adults — reclaim themselves.

So today, let her story be your reminder: life is for the living. And healing, though hard-won, is possible.

Enjoy your weekend, dear readers. And if you see someone dancing — maybe wildly, maybe slowly — know this: they may be dancing for their life.