What does it mean to surrender? To wave a white flag? Is it an admittance of defeat? Or is it an opportunity to ask for help, as we allow ourselves to embrace the powerful force of peace?
The origins of the use of the white flag in times of conflict date back to Ancient Rome. During the Second Punic War and the Roman Civil War, soldiers used white wool and cloth attached to olive branches to retreat from war, submitting themselves to the mercy and protection of their gods above.
As it developed, this symbol was notably adapted as a request for ceasefire. Its use seen in central events of the Second World War. How would we reflect on these soldiers of war who surrendered? The men who submitted themselves completely to violence, sacrificing their minds and bodies, letting their blood nourish the soil that we prosper on today. Were they cowards? Were they weak? Could we call individuals fragile or gutless for admitting defeat when they cannot go on any longer? It would be small-minded to say yes.
This small piece of cloth first waved by Roman soldiers is still used similarly today. In a world so defined by movement and development and opportunity, and noise; it is the truest show of bravery to accept our limitations. To take a step back, to realise the need for space to grow, and admit that you need help is anything but surrender. It is anything but defeat.
And so I urge you to rest. Ask for help when you need it. School is hard, life is hard, friends, boyfriends, family, jobs, painstakingly boring 50-page readings, it is all insanely difficult. Fortunately, there is always someone to lend a hand; as cliché as that may sound, it is true. In fact, there are studies proving that caring for others is inherently wired in humans. That to me is reason enough to reach out. If you stumble or fall, or simply need a moment to breathe in air untainted with everything that’s hard, there will always be a hand ready to hold or a shoulder to rest on.
Unbeknownst to most individuals today, the white flag did always operate on a deeper level. During war the flag could also be used to call for a truce — to engage in negotiation or bury one’s dead. This is even more evidence that to fall back and wave a flag doesn’t mean to surrender. It doesn’t mean loss or weakness. And as well as a show of bravery, it is also temporary.
