From a young age, I understood that discipline and responsibility were often used to measure worth. For many brown girls, this can mean learning to put our needs last, carry responsibility early, and grow into strength before we fully understand what it asks of us.

For a long time, I did what was expected. I stayed agreeable. I questioned myself more than the systems around me. Writing became the place where I could make sense of the thoughts I did not always say out loud. It gave space for the questions, discomfort, joy, people, places, and stories that shaped me along the way.