I drowned countless times in my own tears, sir. I rowed against and with the current so much that I no longer knew when I was going against or with it. I cast the anchor when it was time to depart; I departed when it was time to dock. I suffered from hunger and excesses, sir. I suffered from mirages and silences. I sailed towards the storms, always at the convenience of my tides. I invented pirates to plunder my treasures. I became a distant daughter of the constellations. I graduated in time as a sailor without ever learning to swim. Only thus could I, in my own life, avoid dying…

Both in the depths of my struggles and the height of my resilience, I found the delicate balance between surrender and survival. My life’s journey, with its tumultuous waters and fleeting havens, taught me that true strength lies not in avoiding the storm, but in learning to dance with the waves. ❤️

©️ Beatriz Esmer