I Finished Through Grief, Not Around It

Dear Delyara, I finished my studies while carrying more grief than anyone could see. That matters to me more than the certificate itself. People see the result and imagine a coherent, hardworking story. What they don’t see is how many pages were written while crying, how many deadlines were met by someone whose inner life was barely cooperating, how many days I continued not because I felt confident, but because stopping would have hurt more. I’m proud of the result. But I’m prouder of the endurance.