Do not be discouraged, my dear,
if others cannot witness your growth,
For you are a flower
And all flowers begin
by blooming underground,
where their beauty remains unseen
and invisible to the outside world.

Yet, beneath the earth,
within the darkness,
is where the magic takes place.

And so,
Let yourself grow,
Trusting that you will reach a moment in time
where you fully emerge and unfold,
And your beauty will be recognized and appreciated by all,
For it is the destiny of a flower to bloom,
either in this life
or the next one.

— Tahlia Hunter

Artwork by Catrin Welz-Stein