The Weight of Kind Words

Sometimes, out of nowhere,

like sunlight slipping through clouds,

people hand me words so warm—

soft praises, gentle admiration,

little pieces of kindness I didn’t ask for.

And yes, they make me smile.

They sit on my lips like a quiet thank you,

they bloom in my chest for a moment—

a fleeting kind of happiness.

But then comes the whisper

a question curling in the corners of my mind:

Is this really me?

Am I truly the person they see?

I replay their words in silence,

turning them over like fragile glass,

afraid they might shatter

under the weight of my doubt.

Because sometimes,

I know my storms too well,

my overthinking, my flaws,

the parts of me that don’t feel worthy

of such beautiful descriptions.

And yet

maybe those words aren’t misplaced.

Maybe they are mirrors

I am too hesitant to look into.

Maybe I am

a little more kind than I believe,

a little more strong than I admit,

a little more deserving

than I allow myself to feel.

So I hold their compliments gently now,

not fully convinced, not fully denying—

just learning, slowly,

to accept that maybe…

just maybe,

they see something real in me.

Forever, A Girl Becoming

 

Forever I am a girl who gets lost in the quiet magic of a sunrise,

In sunsets that set the sky on fire with silent poetry,

In stardust scattered across endless night skies

I wander beyond the horizon without fear,

Finding wonder in the small, wild miracles of the universe. 

Forever I am a girl still asking the mirror brave questions,

“What is it that people see in me that I struggle to see?”

Compliments arrive like gentle light at my window,

And I stand there learning, slowly but surely

That maybe my light has always been shining. 

Forever I am a girl who gives my heart like a fearless river,

Pouring my soul into people and dreams that truly matter.

And this Women's Day I make a promise to myself

I will pour my heart, my mind, and my spirit

Only into the places where I rise and bloom. 

Why Grow Up

 Why Grow Up?

Why grow up, when it was magic to be small,
When laughter lived freely in each tiny call?
When pockets held marbles, dreams, and bits of sky,
And every “tomorrow” waited just nearby.
Days were simple, hearts were light,
Friendships bloomed in pure delight.
No careful words, no guarded fears,
Just honest joy and playful tears.

Friends were home, a constant stay,
Unconditional love in every way.
No calendars, no race, no role—
Just shared secrets and a united soul.
Now time runs fast, and we run too,
Chasing goals we barely knew.

Friendship waits at the end of the line,
While life ticks on in strict design.
Smiles grow formal, talks grow rare,
“Someday” replaces “I am here.”
Friends drift softly, out of view,
Until strangers stand where once friends grew.
Oh childhood days, so warm, so true,
How I long to walk back into you.
Why grow up, when it was kinder to stay
In that simple, joyful, honest way? 🌼

Nandini