I’ve stumbled, fallen, flunked,
gotten lost and tried again.
I’ve overthought and overfelt,
been told I was too much — or not enough.

But I’m still here.
Still breathing.
Still creating small pockets of light
in a world that rarely slows down.

My story isn’t a straight road.
It’s full of curves, corners,
pauses and pivots.

But every step I take 
even the quiet, hidden ones 
means I haven’t given up.

And that is strength,
soft and real.