My Time Zero

These lines reflect my gratitude for the opportunity to pause, re-center, and move forward with intention while pursuing my master’s degree at UCSF. As I stand here, I am still inspired by my mom, who left me when I was 18. She couldn’t answer all the questions I had as a child, but she gave me space.

I share this at a moment when I feel empowered. Getting here required staying grounded again and again. That grounding is something my mom taught me without words. The way forward, she showed me, is simple and enduring; to feel grounded first and from there, to move, to grow, and to thrive. It is okay to fail and return to zero.

My mom gave me a blank sheet
and told me to create art.
She never told me what to draw.

She gave me a blank journal 
and said I could write what I felt.
She never told me
what it should be about.

She left my life
without a goodbye.

I cried.
Days I cried.
Years felt wasted.

Every day,
I tried to decode
her quiet messages to me
from the universe.

I took a white paper
and traveled
wherever it carried me.

Now I know
why she gave me
a blank paper.

Still,
I breathe.
I smell.
I live.