Love, Mubaraka

I never had it easy.

From watching my parents succumb to the horrors of a car accident to craving the healing presence of the man I love-my entire life-I had navigated through this messy maze I call my life with a shard of hope in my heart.

Every day, I woke up, hoping, wishing, praying, that these trials would end and I would finally be able to smile without guilt gnawing at me for doing so. I would have that hopeful, grateful outlook I so fondly dreamt of. All that I had ever desired would be within my hold, and I would be happy.

I would be free.

Oh, how delusional I was.

If only I had known back then that those horrors were just the first of many more to come.