“These scars were no longer symbols of pain but had become vibrant tattoos—a testament to her resilience and the beauty she found within herself.”

“As we tend to our spirits, enlightenment dawns”

Love, like the seasons, finds solace in both blooming and fading, yet its eternal essence lingers within the depths of the heart—forever entwined.

“But, in reality, love only emerges from living.”

But swimming, like loving, is not just about knowing.

It's about trusting the body more than the waves of the mind.

“I come from a lineage of Warrior Women”

“She takes a moment to pause and step back, gazing at herself, examining the intricacies of her body, every mole, dimple, and scar…her voice cracks as she mouths, ‘this is a woman.’”

“You know when I woke up today, of all the things I thought I'd be doing, faking a healing was not on my to-do list. And yet, here I was doing exactly that. “

“I knew that I could make a difference in the world, one bold stroke at a time.”

“Come witness my journey / Be delighted in my self-respect”

“Rather than what I’ve accomplished and the skills I put on my resume that change in value depending on external factors, I’ve possessed an understanding that the person I am beneath all of that is actually what’s worth putting at the forefront. “

“I was never broken, so there’s nothing to fix.“

“I cannot run forever. Sometimes, just sometimes, I have to face the things that I am running from, without fear, and that will free me from them.”

“My google search told me that when a wound heals, the new skin is only 80% as strong. This means it’s more vulnerable to being broken open again.”

“I’ve never really been able to define love or explain love or experience a love that didn’t hurt.”

A letter to grief

"but as my body grows, / so does my mind."

“How come we know things about ourselves and the world without ever quite learning about them? Have we perhaps been here on this Earth before?”

“Taking that leap to cut my hair showed me more of myself to accept and hold onto rather than want anyone else to do it for me.”

"and realize that i’m due for a change

which requires me to remain the same

just a bit more accepting

of the woman i ought to become"