My younger self I met today,
She sought the light yet felt astray.
In her direction I calmly glanced,
A fragile soul, a life entranced.

She fidgeted while I stayed calm,
Watching her wipe sweat off her palm.
Her lip trembled, her eyes grew wet,
Her thoughts a storm of fear and regret.

She wiped a tear, muffled a scream,
Intentionally burning her fingers on her coffee steam.
I quietly watched, looking to see,
The weight of the past still clinging to me.

“Tell me,” She whispered, uncertain and small,
“Do we really make it? Do we truly stand tall?”
I reached across and held her hand,
“Through storms and trials we shall ascend.”

“A mentor we find, an angel, a light,
A steady presence through darkest night.
A soul who listens, a heart that stays,
A guide through loss, through fractured days.

We learn to fight, we learn to control,
No longer chained by fear’s tight hold.
We stand up tall, our voice loud and free,
EmpowerHer – born from you and me.”

With pride in her eyes she looked at me,
No longer afraid of who she could be.
An enterprenuer, an artist, a voice for change,
A life once felt shattered, now bold, fearless, and unchained.