Dr. Semiha Sekerli Writes

I don't know who you are or what you're going through right now, but I need you to hear something I just read. I came across this passage in one of Matt Haig's books—he's one of my favorite authors of all time. He writes: "The hardest question I ever heard was: 'How do I stay alive for other people if I have no one?' The answer is that you stay alive for other versions of you. For the people you will meet, yes—but also for the person you are yet to become." That stopped me in my tracks. Sometimes we keep searching for reasons outside ourselves, when maybe the greatest reason is the version of us that hasn't had the chance to exist yet. With Love ; Semiha

Once upon a time, my father and I decided to visit the mountain where our family used to camp when I was growing up. That mountain has been part of my life since I was seven or eight years old. Every summer, my mom, my dad, my older brother, and I would pack our things and disappear into nature for a few days. Looking back, those camping trips were some of the happiest moments of my childhood. I still laugh remembering how much my brother hated those trips while I absolutely loved every second of them. We slept in tents beneath thousands of stars, drank tea made over a campfire, cooked dinner together, and bought fresh milk from nearby farmers each morning. We talked for hours about whether UFOs really existed, caught crickets only to let them go again, climbed trees to eat wild berries, and spent evenings in the most magical treehouse you could imagine. It had always been there, standing proudly among the trees, and climbing all the way to the top to watch the sunset felt like enterin...

How many times do we have to get back up? I don't know. How many challenges do we have to face before we finally arrive at a place where we feel we truly belong... or if such a place even exists? We all feel lost sometimes. We all question ourselves. But in those moments, it's important to remember this: You are not a project that needs constant fixing. You are not the destination; you are already enough. You don't have to keep proving your worth to love yourself or, more importantly, to be loved. Love is not a reward you earn after reaching a goal. You were born worthy of love, and you will always remain worthy of love. Keep dreaming. Keep hoping. Keep moving forward, one step at a time. And above all... Be kind to yourself.  With Love , Semiha