Once,

          I was the shy, quiet girl in the back of the classroom. The girl who didn’t have many friends and often went unnoticed. The girl whose parents were always told, “Your child needs to participate more in class”. The girl who looked still, but had chaos going on in her mind. The girl who constantly cursed herself and wondered what is wrong with her.

Now,

          I am the girl who speaks more, comparatively, but is still considered quiet. The girl trying to be in peace with herself and most of the time doesn’t care going unnoticed. The girl who doesn’t rely on others for appreciation, but gains confidence through self-talk. The girl whose parents always believed and still do that she is a gem, and she is trying her best to prove them right. The girl who still has a chaotic mind but is learning the skill of organizing this mess and turning it into art pieces. The girl who instead of ranting about what’s wrong, is now concentrating on how it can be fixed.

And one day, inshallah (if god wills),

I will be the girl who doesn’t force a conversation and knows that she is a wonderful company to her real friends with whom she is comfortable. The girl whose name would be included in the list of successful women. The girl who has made her parents proud and is an inspiration to all the quiet ones in the classrooms. She has grown up to be just like her mother, beautiful, smart, strong and also an idol to her own children.

I will be the woman who looks back at her life and proudly says “It was a beautiful journey and I lived it to the fullest”.