This is the story of a girl

She was born into the world with wide eyed innocence. Everyone oohing and aahing the moment she breaks into a smile or gurggles some gibberish. As described by her mum, she was cheerful, easily contented, a darling child dearly showered with love and care.

Though her sweetness has brought her a lot of attention, this apple of mum and dad's eyes has always been shy. Usually the quiet reserved one, until she warms up to you, the true colors show.

She loves her books to death, it is a treasure cove to her. Read and re - read, crease marks left with every turn of a page. " No more birthday cakes for me, I'll have Enid Blyton instead please", she told her dad. Reading about pirates, fairies, knights, boarding schools, islands, forests, she already knew that there is a big world out there, she longs to see the world when she grows up.

Of course, unlike the world of Peter Pan that she read of, this little girl doesn't live in Never- never land. As she approached her teenage years, she felt more and more suffocated by the strict rules at home. Later on, when offered a key to partial freedom, she took it. Bags packed, whisked away to some la la land for studies. Life did get a little bit rougher when away from her circle of protection. Not to worry, her parents were always still there when rescue was needed.

La la land was still not good enough to provide everything that she needed, so off to "Vegemite Kingdom" she flew for more brain enrichment :) Through the years, she realises that kangaroos and koalas don't freely roam around the streets, parents can no longer always come to the rescue, people come, people go, confrontation can happen, responsibilities do increase and freedom can be fun too.

Crossing the finishing line of university life, she crosses yet another starting line, the "University of As Real As Life Can Get". Not even knowing what she wanted to do, she teetered tootered through days of uncertainty, self doubt. Her university life never prepared her for what she was about to experience. As an amateur to reality, she gathered painful bruises and cuts along the way, her heart had also hardened. Looking at photos of her younger self, she is saddened at how this baby had grown up to be a skeptical and bitter person. It was not meant to be like that, it wasn't what she dreamt of. She wanted to see the world, but not the ugly side of ppl, not the unfairness of things.

You'll be glad to know the girl has slowly progressed to the recovery stage, scars are forming on the wounds. She had come to understand that there is nothing she could have done to change the past and she can't keep dwelling at the bottom of the pit , because that is not God's purpose for her life. Dreams of travelling are still well alive and so is the heart of wanting to help others. "Next time when tears flow, it should not be "woe is me" tears, but instead tears that flow for the injustice and needs of others", she said.

Her words of encouragement to others: " Press on in life, don't accept the status quo!!