The Softest Landing

Dear Delyara, I arrived here feeling like a bird with a broken wing, terrified of the wind. My body feels like a stranger to me lately, tired and heavy with a health struggle I didn't ask for. The world feels too loud and too sharp for someone in pain. I just wanted a place to hide. The sanctuary gave me more than a hiding spot; it gave me a nest. I sat for an hour just holding the pen, feeling the warmth of the candle on my skin before I wrote a single word. When I finally began, the words were soft. I wrote about the small joys I’m trying to find again—the taste of tea, the sound of rain, the hope that my body will feel lighter tomorrow. This letter is a promise to be patient with myself.