I am BRAVE

She is a smart and kind person, and the best part is that people can see these qualities in her. “Go and achieve what the world has for you,” were the words she always heard. It wasn’t just a daydream; she had something unique, something she still carries with her. So she went ahead, soaring, just as she had been encouraged. She left South America for North America, the land of opportunity—or so she had been told. And there, she did what she does best: seek knowledge and seize opportunities.

During her journey, fatigue and frustration began to set in—a familiar feeling to us all, right? But there was one vital piece missing. She didn’t have the support she had back home; those voices that used to energize her motivation and propel her forward were absent. “If only there was something to make my life easier,” she mused. And she was told that the solution lay in a piece of paper, that golden—or rather, green—document that promised an easier life. It was the replenishment she craved.

She showed courage, and she continues to do so. She worked tirelessly until she got that coveted card—that badge of freedom and hope. “Life will certainly be easier now,” she anticipated. But life didn’t come easy just because of a legal document. “Why do I still feel tired?” That overwhelming sense of not knowing the path ahead sapped her energy. She was trying her best, but it felt like she was starting from scratch. She realized that living abroad involves more than accessing opportunities; it’s dealing with pressures that didn’t exist back home and losing her family support system—those voices that used to lift her up.

She was brave then, and she remains steadfast in her courage. Now, she contemplates whether her next act of bravery might be to return home. It’s about experiencing connection and acceptance, not because she couldn’t achieve them in the land of the North, but because no matter how many connections she formed, obstacles she overcame, or goals she achieved, something remained missing. It was the feeling of being an integral part of a community, not just a participant in it. For now, the answer to whether to stay or return eludes her, but one answer remains clear: to continue embracing courage.