Affirmation

You think you have something special, but you can never be completely sure. The people closest to you—those you choose to share your work with—will often build you up. They'll say the story is beautiful, moving, wonderful. It’s kind, and it means the world, but sometimes... it’s not quite enough to quiet that little voice of doubt.

This week, something changed.

A dear friend and early childhood teacher offered to read my manuscript aloud to her granddaughter. Hearing my words spoken out loud, just as I wrote them, was something I didn’t realise would move me so deeply. It brought tears to my eyes. I felt something shift—like maybe, just maybe, this story truly has a place in the world.

What made it even more powerful was where we were: sitting together in a library, surrounded by the books of published authors. Shelves lined with beautiful, timeless stories. To hear mine among them, even informally, felt like stepping into a dream I didn’t know I was allowed to have.

It was a quiet, extraordinary moment—and such a gift.

Thank you, Neelika and Alex, for sharing it with me. I’ll carry it forward, always.