Mariyam Mohamed

  Not every smile means the same. Some smiles carry genuine goodness. Some conceal pain. Others may hide sarcasm or even mockery. It’s strange, isn’t it? One simple gesture—just the curve of the lips—can carry so many layers of emotion. Every smile has a story, but not every story is spoken out loud. People smile for different reasons. Some smile out of habit, some to mask discomfort, and some because they genuinely feel a burst of joy from within. The most beautiful kind of smile, the one that lingers in your memory and warms your heart long after, is the smile that rises from the soul—when you see someone else happy, and their joy becomes your own. It’s the kind of smile that says:  I wish for you what I wish for myself. From a neuroscience perspective, smiling—especially a heartfelt, genuine smile—activates the brain’s reward system. Dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins get released, lighting up our mood and calming our stress. It’s a small act with a big impact, not just on...

“Mummy, it hurts.” “Mummy, I don’t want to see them anymore.” “Mummy, I don’t have a choice… I have to speak.” “Mummy, why is he like that?” “Mummy, why do other kids have two parents at school… but not me?” These are not just words from a child; they are echoes of pain, confusion, and abandonment. In the Maldives, a country known to the world as a tropical paradise, there exists another reality that is rarely spoken of: the invisible struggles of single mothers and the children they raise, often alone. The Maldives holds one of the highest divorce rates globally. While separation may offer safety or relief, the aftermath leaves many women battling life on all fronts. Overnight, a mother becomes everything: the sole provider, emotional support system, driver, tutor, nurse, protector. The roles that allow no rest, no pause, no time even to cry. She keeps going, often unnoticed, often unsupported. The emotional weight is heavy. Many mothers struggle with anxiety, isolation, and depressio...

  My best cousin and I As I walked towards my training destination yesterday morning, something unexpected happened. A sudden wave of memories swept over me, pulling me into a time long gone but still vivid in my heart. I realized I was on a road I had walked for over twenty years — my familiar road. The same path that once led me to school, to neighbors, to endless games, laughter, and childhood dreams. I passed by our old house. It looked almost the same — frozen in time — yet something felt different. The entrance had changed. The tiny walkway where we once played for hours, chasing each other and drawing with chalk, was no longer ours. It had been claimed by the government and renamed as a public lane. But in my heart, it will always be a part of our home — a sacred piece of my childhood. I could almost hear the echoes of our laughter — innocent, wild, and free. It rang in my ears as if calling me back. I paused for a moment and asked myself, Where has all that laughter gone?...