30/04/2026
A Conversation Across Time
You look happy,
she says—
eyes wide, still believing in soft things.
I smile.
Yes… I am.
Not the kind I used to wear to survive,
but the kind that finally feels like home.
I’m not pretending anymore.
She tilts her head,
hesitant, but curious—
Did Amma stop beating you?
I pause,
hold her question with care.
Yes… she did.
Somewhere along the way,
we both changed.
Now, she feels more like a friend
than a storm I had to brace for.
She studies me again,
as if measuring dreams against reality.
Did life turn out the way you wanted?
I exhale softly.
No…
not even close.
But it gave me something I didn’t know to ask for—
it made me into someone
I always needed to become.
It wasn’t easy.
It wasn’t kind.
But it shaped me…
and I wouldn’t undo it.
A flicker of excitement returns,
Did you become a scientist,
like Achan wanted?
I laugh,
a little surprised at myself.
No…
can you believe it?
I became a healer.
I hold space for people.
I help them find their way back to themselves.
And somehow,
in healing them…
I’ve been healing us too.
She goes quiet now,
listening more than asking.
So I kneel beside her,
softening my voice—
You’ll learn…
not the easy way,
but the one that will carve strength into your bones.
You’ll make mistakes,
you’ll fall…
but you’ll always find a way to rise again.
You’ll learn to say no
without guilt sitting on your chest.
You’ll learn that boundaries
are not walls,
but the doors you choose to open and close.
You’ll learn to stand up for yourself,
even when your voice trembles.
It will take time.
It will take tears.
But you will get there.
And when you do—
I want you to know…
I am so proud of you.
For choosing the hard way
and still choosing to grow.
For becoming me.
