Why did it take me so long to see this? I don’t know. Maybe the years of fighting, worrying, pushing, and carrying too much blinded me. But I see it now: there is life outside of all these difficulties.

There is life outside the overwhelming debts.
There is life outside the stagnant career path.
There is life outside the unfairness that is pressed on me just because I am a woman.

There is life—quiet, patient, waiting for me to notice. A space where I can still pursue my interests, feed my curiosity, and maybe, just maybe, grow content.

Dear self, I don’t need to have all the answers for why it took so long. What matters is that I’m here, in this moment, with this awareness. And I will hold it like a small flame against the darkness: there is more to me, and more to life, than the weight I carry.

With love,
Me