Trang Minh Hoang
Ana Lucía Fernández
trang:
"I always see and feel that I have a friend inside me, that is the second me. I make friend with "her", talk to myself with the utmost sincerity. When she is happy, I am happy and when she is in deep sorrow, I try to comfort her with the best I can. I have walked with her through stages of life. She stays there whenever I need her and we're always honest to each other. Sometimes we argue and lose belief but after all, I realize that we will never leave each other because we have an intimate relationship that nothing in this world can seperate this connection. Although I know our bonding will have to go through lots of difficulties and hardship."
"I always see and feel that I have a friend inside me, that is the second me. I make friend with "her", talk to myself with the utmost sincerity. When she is happy, I am happy and when she is in deep sorrow, I try to comfort her with the best I can. I have walked with her through stages of life. She stays there whenever I need her and we're always honest to each other. Sometimes we argue and lose belief but after all, I realize that we will never leave each other because we have an intimate relationship that nothing in this world can seperate this connection. Although I know our bonding will have to go through lots of difficulties and hardship."
Ana Lucia:
"I rewrote this email several times. I have a quite conflicted view on this topic, I will try to explain why.
I was born in a catholic family. Everybody believes but most do not actively practice. Since I was a child, I went to church, religion classes, catechesis, I was baptized and did my first Communion. I was taught to be a good Christian, a woman that stays pure until marriage and do not raise her voice. My mom always challenged these ideas, and as I grew up, I realized how this had affected my behaviour. I stopped believing by the age of 13 and started questioning all lessons I have been taught. It still took me many years to separate my will from everybody's desires of me. Nowadays, after a lot of struggle, I am in a point in my life where I am fully aware of my boundaries and limits. I do not rush things, I do not let people get too close too fast, but I also do not build walls around me and try to retrieve in a safer place.
What is intimacy then? For me, is that point in the middle, right where you open yourself to somebody, physically and emotionally; where you understand each other's feelings and confines, and work through them. A place where you feel save and free."
"I rewrote this email several times. I have a quite conflicted view on this topic, I will try to explain why.
I was born in a catholic family. Everybody believes but most do not actively practice. Since I was a child, I went to church, religion classes, catechesis, I was baptized and did my first Communion. I was taught to be a good Christian, a woman that stays pure until marriage and do not raise her voice. My mom always challenged these ideas, and as I grew up, I realized how this had affected my behaviour. I stopped believing by the age of 13 and started questioning all lessons I have been taught. It still took me many years to separate my will from everybody's desires of me. Nowadays, after a lot of struggle, I am in a point in my life where I am fully aware of my boundaries and limits. I do not rush things, I do not let people get too close too fast, but I also do not build walls around me and try to retrieve in a safer place.
What is intimacy then? For me, is that point in the middle, right where you open yourself to somebody, physically and emotionally; where you understand each other's feelings and confines, and work through them. A place where you feel save and free."
"I can relate to what you are talking about. I have anxiety, and there is always this voice in my head second guessing every decision I make. I have learnt to live like this by ignoring it at times of strength, but sadly it always comes back. I share a lot with this voice, it has taught me work hard and go beyond my boundaries, it does not let me sit still. It loves to think (and overthink).
Today I went through a challenging moment that made me reflect on the topic. I spent the last days with my boyfriend, whom I have been with for almost 4 years. Being with him I feel in that point in the middle I previously mentioned. So, I decided to take our picture together for this value. The image in my brain was simple: we would hug naked in bed. But trying to execute it resurface all our insecurities.
The thing is, we are so used to being with each other, that I never thought how confronting it would be for our bodies to be exposed in front of a camera. When we are together, we share our experiences and fear in a way that we become one, interconnected. Thus, I decided to change my approach. Here you see this connection, this interface between the "me" and the "you", the moment two people become a "we", homogeneous and undistinguishable from each other."
Today I went through a challenging moment that made me reflect on the topic. I spent the last days with my boyfriend, whom I have been with for almost 4 years. Being with him I feel in that point in the middle I previously mentioned. So, I decided to take our picture together for this value. The image in my brain was simple: we would hug naked in bed. But trying to execute it resurface all our insecurities.
The thing is, we are so used to being with each other, that I never thought how confronting it would be for our bodies to be exposed in front of a camera. When we are together, we share our experiences and fear in a way that we become one, interconnected. Thus, I decided to change my approach. Here you see this connection, this interface between the "me" and the "you", the moment two people become a "we", homogeneous and undistinguishable from each other."