In This Story: There is a girl who is stubborn
and strong willed and who makes
a lot of mistakes.
A family that is trying to navigate
its way through the aftermath
of war and partition.
Parents who have the best intentions.
Gods and Goddesses who appear
seemingly at random.
So when magic comes to stay
it brings with it a firestorm
of emotions.
A Secret From Me To You There is something
you should know
before reading this tale.
Despite my best efforts,
I still do not know
how to love myself.
But here is
the secret
that no one told me.
It’s okay. It’s okay to feel
like you’re drowning
inside your own bones sometimes.
It’s okay to weep
like a sky devoured
by a storm.
It’s okay to be aware
that there are wounds in you still
that you aren’t letting heal.
Survival is ugly.
Healing is messy.
Self love is complicated.
It is the days you feel like this
as much as your best days
that help you grow.
All of this
is part
of being human.
You and I, we do not need
to be perfect at one more thing
no one has taught us how to do.
We can learn together.
How to be gentle with ourselves.
How to be kinder to ourselves
when life feels
like it is more endings
than beginnings.
Here is another secret no one will tell you:
No one has mastered the art of self love,
not even the Gods and Goddesses themselves.
Copyright © 2020 by Nikita Gill. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
