The Girl I Used to Be

There are days when I think about the girl I used to be - seventeen, hopeful, determined, ambitious and unaware of how quickly life can change. She wanted to study. She wanted independence. She wanted to choose her own future. She wanted to travel the world. She didn’t know that her future was already being decided for her.

For a long time, I avoided thinking about her. It hurt too much. She felt fragile, naïve, too trusting. But writing my memoir helped me see her differently. She wasn’t weak. She wasn’t foolish. She was brave. She ran away from home because she believed she deserved more. She fought for her freedom even when she didn’t know how.

I honour her now. I write for her. I speak for her. And I carry her with me - not as a wound, but as a reminder of the strength it takes to survive.