Nostalgia

She sits alone, surrounded by the quiet noise of passing time. The years blur together now, but in her head, they are vivid. Fourteen’s curiosity sparked a new world of possibilities and endless opportunities. Fifteen’s rebellion laid her mother to wonder if it was a cry for help or a quest for freedom. Sixteen’s freedom she found peace. She no longer felt intimidated by stillness. Seventeen’s preparation meant choices— hers carried weight. She grew balancing innocence with intention, reaching for the world she plans to create. Each a chapter of a story too precious to let go but too damaging to reread. 

Children sense a spark teenagers have that adults have forgotten. 

They look up and see their future. Refusing to accept the way life is— never settling. 

Children admire it, teens fight for it, all while adults continue to mourn it. 

Now, she holds her past waiting to share with the future. Both a gift and a curse; she smiles not with joy but reminiscence. She clings to the moments that made her, knowing they will never be again.