Gratitude

One day, it struck me like a quiet thunder; I had forgotten myself. I had wandered so far into caring for everything else that I became invisible to my own heart. I did not even notice when I stopped listening to my feelings, when I silenced the whispers of my soul.

At first, I lied to myself. I told myself it didn’t matter. I told myself my pain was silly, unworthy of attention, too small to be honored. But truth has a way of waiting, patiently, until you cannot ignore it any longer. And I, I have never been one to deny myself the freedom of truth.

So I admitted it. I cared. More deeply than I ever knew. And when I finally confessed that to myself, the tears came like rain, washing me clean. I let them fall, and with them, I let myself breathe again.

And in that breath, I remembered: the world is still beautiful. Even with its shadows, it is overflowing with light - billions of souls waiting to connect, billions of opportunities waiting to unfold.

I have learned that I must look before I leap, but not so long that I never leap at all. I have learned that success is not rooted in a single stem because this earth blooms with too much abundance for my life to hinge on just one chance.

I have learned that love does not come from one person alone. No, the world is far too vast for that. The one who is meant for me will come with open arms and steady presence, proving love in action, not just in words. They will love me without condition - whether I shine or stumble, whether I am little or great, rich or poor. They will love me the way I love: fully, honestly, completely.

I have learned that some things will never bend to my will, no matter how much I want them to. And yet, life still gives. I have seen kindness from strangers who owed me nothing, who proved that compassion has no requirement of familiarity. I have learned that not everyone I give my all to will remain, but that is no reason for despair; only a reminder that not every soul is woven with the same threads as mine.

I have learned that blessings are not only found in grand cities or shining towers. Sometimes the truest treasures bloom in the smallest, most hidden corners of the earth.

I have learned to try again. To fail and rise, to hurt and still choose softness. I will not allow my mistakes to bury me, nor my pain to poison me. I will let it refine me instead.

I am still learning; learning to steer this fragile, fearless ship of mine. Some days I will need another’s hand on the wheel. Sometimes help will come freely; other times I will have to sail alone. But still, the ship will move, and so will I.

And through it all, I remain happy, grateful, humbled, and alive.