In This Story: There is a girl who is stubborn and strong willed and who makes a lot of mistakes. A family that is trying to navigate its way through the aftermath of war and partition. Parents who have the best intentions. Gods and Goddesses who appear seemingly at random. So when magic comes to stay it brings with it a firestorm of emotions. A Secret From Me To You There is something you should know before reading this tale. Despite my best efforts, I still do not know how to love myself. But here is the secret that no one told me.

It's okay. It's okay to feel like you're drowning inside your own bones sometimes. It's okay to weep like a sky devoured by a storm. It's okay to be aware that there are wounds in you still that you aren't letting heal. Survival is ugly. Healing is messy. Self love is complicated. It is the days you feel like this as much as your best days that help you grow.

All of this is part of being human. You and I, we do not need to be perfect at one more thing no one has taught us how to do. We can learn together. How to be gentle with ourselves. How to be kinder to ourselves when life feels like it is more endings than beginnings. Here is another secret no one will tell you: No one has mastered the art of self love, not even the Gods and Goddesses themselves.