Sitting on the park bench, absorbing every color of the blooming spring around her, she found herself savoring every bit of that bright sunshine. It had been long since she had been out in the wild. Her favorite summer dress was perfect for the pleasant spring weather, and her long hair flowed loose in the gentle breeze. She was indulging in her favorite ice cream. Her eyes, shaded by sunglasses, were busy assessing her surroundings.
It was a pleasant spring afternoon, perfect weekend weather. People of all ages were enjoying the sunshine. She glanced around and noticed a group of young skaters gliding around the road. A teenage girl was animately talking with her boyfriend, who was busy on his phone. Nearby, a cute couple rode their bicycle while an elderly couple on the next bench seemed engrossed in their conversation.
Turning her sight in the other direction, she spotted toddlers playing nearby. A boy and a girl, both around the age of five. The girl was trying to build a house with sticks and leaves while the boy was playing with his toy truck and trying to park his toy truck in her makeshift backyard. Just then, the girl's mother called her. Promptly, she ran towards her mom. Before leaving, she turned momentarily and blew a playful flying kiss to that boy. A warm smile blossomed across her lips as this adorable incident transported her back to cherished moments from her childhood with him.
They were neighbors. She met him when she was 5, and he was 7 years old. Since then, they have been inseparable. They would play in their backyard, spending countless afternoons together filled with mischief and fun. She was obsessed with building houses, while he had a knack for knocking them down. She would get upset whenever she saw her hard work come crashing down, and her waterwork would begin. Sensing her sadness, he always built a bigger and better house for her to play with.
They grew up together by sharing the same playground and attending the same school. From celebrating each festival, birthday, and milestone together to navigating the hurdles of life side by side, they supported each other. Through the years, they forged an unbreakable bond, cheering each other through the trials of adolescence. Both of them stood by each other through thick and thin. In those moments of comfort, they realized that what had once been a simple friendship had blossomed into something deeper. They embraced the beautiful truth; once childhood friends were now teenage sweethearts.
Everything was going well. He had completed his bachelor's degree, and she was pursuing hers. Their lives intertwined through shared friends, study sessions, and dreams. Then, without warning, their lives shifted dramatically. His parents decided to move their business to the United States for better future perspectives. It happened so quickly that they did not have time to discuss their situation. Yet, amid the ripples of their life, there existed a silent wow, unspoken words that they would find themselves together one day.
Suddenly, her life felt empty. He was the only friend she needed and had, and she had to rebuild her world from scratch when he left for the US. She sought out new friends, met new people, and embraced new experiences. She developed a new perspective of the world. These new experiences and newly found confidence reignited her passion for dance. She decided to give that passion a chance and began teaching classical dance to children. Dance and working with kids brought her happiness as if she had found herself back again.
At the same time, their relationship was being tested by the relentless passage of time, the vastness of distance, and the weight of new responsibilities. After he moved to the US, he was enrolled for his master's degree and was occupied by new territories. At the same time, she got busy with her final year study and dissertation, along with her flourishing dance classes. They were caught between two continents, two countries, and two time zones. With detached life journeys and experiences, they were evolving separately. Yet, amid the turmoil of emotions, one emotion that kept them together was their unconditional love. They fought, cried, and infuriated one another, but they also laughed and supported each other through it all.
After he completed his master's and landed his first job, he proposed to her immediately. Without second thoughts, she said yes. They married the same month, and she moved to the US, leaving everything behind—including her successful dance classes and family.
It's been five long years since she moved to the States, yet she still grapples with several questions. Her purpose, her life choices, the course of her life, and whatnot. Life here is good; she is content, they are happy, and he is thriving at his job. She is a full-time homemaker; she takes care of his family and is content with no regrets. Yet, beneath this veneer of stability, a slight ache persists - a bittersweet reminder of her passion for dance that still flickers in her heart. The rhythm of her dance feels muted here. She longs to reclaim the fluid grace that once defined her. The weight of what-ifs is much higher than the failure. She sees a fleeting sparkle of ambition with each passing day. Despite her efforts to reconnect with her love for dance, the challenges weighed her down. First, it was a new country, environment, and a language barrier. Later, there were complications in her first pregnancy, and now, there are the challenges of raising their family.
Each day, the memories of her dancing days swirl around her, bringing both joy and sorrow. She is quite often caught between her choices and her dreams. However, she has not given up entirely on her dreams. Her moment of reflection was abruptly broken by a loud voice. When she turned around, she saw her husband waving at her and calling her to join him from a distance, pulling her back to the present.
With a gentle smile, she caressed her baby bump. She stood up and walked toward him. Seeing him and their daughter playing on the swing with the brightest smile made her heart swell with happiness and contentment, and she forgot everything. All her worries dissolved at that moment. She had this profound sense of fulfillment and was proud of her life choices.
Looking back at her life, she couldn't help but compare it to a tapestry—complex, tedious, entangled, yet beautiful. She wove a tapestry out of her life choices, threads of regrets, and some precious memories side by side, each thread telling a story of sacrifice, resilience, love, and the quiet strength that came from embracing both the dreams she pursued and those she left behind.
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