“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.’”

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

“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. “

“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"

“‘I’ll take it, sir.’ She handed the merchant her card, and the cashier passed it through the cash register. ‘Sold.’”

How my family's body-shaming led me to codependency issues and a suicide attempt.

I‘ve been trapped in this narrative of “not fitting in” and disliking myself so much so that true self-love has been foreign to me. In fact, it’s been so much easier sitting in this place of self-hate than working towards anything else.

“Strengthening my relationship with my hijab was key to fostering a healthy relationship with myself. And by doing so, I learned that being a hijabi is about recognizing the strength it takes to look past the surface to uncover true beauty.”