Welp. It’s always those random 3:24 AM moments where I can’t sleep, and my brain decides to wander. Not out of helplessness, but out of hope.
Tonight, I find myself reflecting on this 34-year journey of mine. And honestly? Wow. Time is flying. I’m so happy, and I’m so proud.
Have I faced loss? Of course. Have people been horrendous to me? Absolutely. But here’s the thing I’ve learned: what others do to you is rarely about you. The second I truly locked that concept into my brain, my life started to take flight (literally and figuratively).
I think about how many times I could’ve given up. I could’ve listened to the haters. I could’ve shrunk myself down to make other people more comfortable. But I didn’t. I don’t have it in me. Some of us are just built to shine, to share love, and to exist loudly—even if it makes other people mad.
And to that, I say: I won’t stop. I can’t stop. If you’re mad about it, like Cardi B said: “you gotta die first.”
As I wrap up these very late-night/early-morning thoughts, I just want to remind you (and myself): you can always rebuild. You can always start over. You can always go back to the hobbies and passions that lit you up before. You are allowed and have full permission to be exactly who you are.
To create. To love. To be human. To be ourselves. That’s the journey we’re all on.
— Carmen