53. She Will Rise Again

Everyone is against her. She can’t escape the feeling that everything she does or wants to do is met with opposition. One day, it’s her mother nagging her to finally figure out her life, to find a partner and settle down. The next, it’s her best friend telling her to be more conscious of her financial situation and to set more realistic goals. Or it’s her boss, giving her a hard time over a mistake so mundane it’s not even worth mentioning.

Everything she does is wrong. She feels she’s wrong about everything. She knows this isn’t true but she still feels it like a weight pressing on her chest. She knows she doesn’t act how others want and expect. She knows she’s strange. But she’s only trying to do what she knows is right — to create her own path in the world.

The world refuses to yield even an inch. The world is relentless in its fight against her. Being herself has become so difficult that existence itself feels like a burden. Why can’t she catch a break? Why is her life a constant battle? It’s all beyond exhausting.

Giving up is always an option. Of course she thinks about it. Abandoning her path. Building an ordinary life. Starting a normal career. There was a time when she would’ve given into such thoughts. She would’ve done whatever people demanded of her. She would’ve done anything just to keep the peace.

Peace is no longer a priority. She’s lost far too much for peace. She isn’t going to roll over for anyone. Not anymore. She’ll take whatever damage the world dishes out. She’ll take it and continue to push forward. She might occasionally collapse under the weight of the world’s onslaught, but this is just a sign she needs to rest. She will not let it change her mind.

She will rise again. And again and again. She will keep rising and pushing herself forward. She will struggle for as long as it takes. She will be the person she knows she must be.