malalai khan

Dear Rue,

You are not alone. You are loved and remembered. Memories may haunt you. You may feel helpless and pointless. But you are not. You are a thousand times stronger and I know it. You just need a bit of time—we all do. We grow at our own pace, for life isn’t a race.

Storms come and go, and you will be the rainbow to triumph after the rain. You are brimming with so much hope and healing that flowers crave your light and warmth. It is okay to feel lonely sometimes and it is okay to be alone for some time. There is nothing to be ashamed of in feeling grey in a time of sunshine, in trying to find a lighthouse despite having reached the shore. It is not an act of cowardice to ask for help, to hold someone’s hand.

Healing is a long process but it is so, so worth it. It is a cycle of rebirth and renewal, of restoration and respite as you break the chains and grow your hope wilder and wilder. Love yourself because you are worth your love. Only then, you will find yourself. I know you will. Then, you will find everyone and everything else.

You are a wildflower. You will bloom, soon. I know you will.

Sending tides of love,

Mal