Childhood
The first breath of life.
A memory stitched into every soul.
For some, it is filled with laughter and dreams,
For others, a daily search for food.
Some chase education with shining eyes,
While others fight silent battles just to stay alive.
One day, I looked up at the sky and asked,
"If the beginning itself is so heavy,
how are we supposed to survive the rest?"
Life smiled gently and whispered:
"The beginning is always hard.
But remember, we are all blessed with two childhoods—
One at the start of life,
And one near its end.
The first is not ours to choose,
But the second... the second is a gift we shape ourselves.
The more weight you carry now,
The lighter your soul will be later.
The more you burn in struggles today,
The brighter you will shine tomorrow.
The more you break early on,
The stronger and sharper you will stand in the end.
Pain is not the end of your story;
It is the beginning of your masterpiece."
Hearing this,
I wiped my silent tears.
I no longer asked why.
I began to work quietly,
Planting seeds of hope,
Watering them with patience.
I chose to shape my second childhood
Not with fear, not with regret,
But with dreams larger than my fears,
And with a heart ready to bloom.
Because in the end,
It is not how life begins that defines us,
But how we choose to finish
With peace, pride, and a story worth remembering