A Birthday Reflection: A Dialogue with Every Version of Ifa
Happy birthday to the baby, toddler, teenager, and every version of Ifa. Thank you to little Ifa, who had to learn to be strong earlier than she should have. To little Ifa, who was often confused, afraid, or felt she had to understand the adult world too soon. You did not always know what was happening, but you kept growing. Thank you to teenage Ifa, who was once fragile, insecure, angry, disappointed, and felt not good enough. For all the nights when you questioned yourself. For all the phases when you wanted to be understood, but instead had to learn how to save yourself. Thank you to adult Ifa, who has gone through loss, fear, academic pressure, loneliness in a foreign country, failures that felt personal, and days when life felt too heavy. Thank you for still choosing to keep going, even when no one truly knew how difficult the road was for you. This year, I have learned to be more grateful. Grateful for the things I managed to overcome, for the good people who came into ...
