A poem from the person you became to the child you once were.

Dear little Yuvi, come sit with me,
There’s so much I wish you could see.
I know you smile when the world looks bright,
But I’ve seen you cry alone at night.

I know how hard you tried to belong,
To find a place where you felt you were strong.
You changed your laughter, your words, your ways,
Just to be included in someone’s days.

You thought that friendship meant never being alone,
That having a group meant you had found home.
You feared being left, being judged, being small,
So you tried to be someone who pleased them all.

Oh, little Yuvi, if only you knew,
The world doesn’t get kinder just because you’re true.
Some people will leave, some promises will bend,
And not every beginning leads to a beautiful end.

I wish I could hold you on those lonely days,
When you searched for a seat, for familiar faces, for friendly ways.
When you wondered what made you so hard to choose,
And quietly blamed yourself for the friends you would lose.

You didn’t deserve to be anyone’s second choice,
You deserved to be heard, to have your own voice.
You deserved the kind of love that didn’t make you pretend,
The kind that stayed beside you, again and again.

But please don’t let the hurt turn your heart into stone,
You were never meant to walk this whole world alone.
One day, you’ll meet souls who understand your silence,
Who bring you peace instead of confusion and violence.

You’ll find friends who correct you when you’re wrong,
Who make you feel safe, where you truly belong.
Who’ll laugh at your madness, protect what you share,
And remind you that someone will always care.

And those who left? Let them be part of your past,
Not every connection is meant to last.
Some people are lessons, some memories stay,
And some become strangers along the way.

I know you wish you had spoken that day,
Had stood by a friend instead of looking away.
But little Yuvi, you were still learning to be brave,
You were just a child with a heart you couldn’t always save.

So forgive yourself for the things you didn’t know,
For the fear that held you, for the tears that would flow.
You cannot change the girl you were back then,
But you can give her the love she needed, again and again.

And someday, when you look back at the years gone by,
You’ll understand the reasons you once asked why.
The lonely lunches, the friendships that fell apart,
Were never proof of a flaw in your heart.

You don’t have to pretend to be someone new,
The world needs the person who’s already you.
You don’t need a crowd to prove your worth,
You were enough from the day of your birth.

So, little Yuvi, keep your heart soft and true,
There’s a beautiful life waiting for you.
And whenever the world makes you feel small,
Remember, I’m here — and I’ll catch you if you fall.

With all the love you once searched for outside,
From the grown-up you who has you by her side.

Forever yours,

The Yuvi you became. 🤍

— Insight with Gunjan

From the creator of Quirky Rants: I’ve started a new publication called Nudge — a space for stories born from a sudden thought.

If you’ve ever had a thought that wouldn’t leave you alone until you turned it into a story, Nudge might be the place for it. Explore Nudge and submit your story.

Nudge — A Publication!

📌 This story is published under Quirky Rants — a home for unfiltered thoughts, everyday oddities, and real, relatable voices.
Want to share your story too? Join us here.

Quirky Rants — A Publication!

A Letter to Little Yuvi was originally published in Quirky Rants on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

I want to be the kind of person that likes to try new things. I want to be the person who will enthusiastically take a bite of an ethically-sourced shark burger.

I want to be the person who isn’t afraid to go to a new hiking location because there’s a small possibility they’ll get lightheaded or tired.

I want to be the person that can comfortably introduce themselves to a group of strangers.

But I am not that person. I am the person who agonizes days before trying something new. Even driving some place I’ve never been before or visiting a new doctor’s office gives me anxiety.

And yet my life is so uninteresting, so mundane, so predictable because I never try anything new. I hate it.

I’ve never even been on a proper date at 25 years old because I’m so afraid of getting outside of my comfort zone to meet new people, much less meet up with someone random from the internet. (Because that is what dating apps are, aren’t they?)

I know I’ve become complacent with my life and it’s really not helping with my depression, but I also can’t really handle the anxiety of change.

Next week, I’m starting a class towards an Ed.d program in Reading and Literacy. I was excited initially, but as Monday approaches the stomach aches start, and the dread, and the feeling of regret. Right now as I’m writing this, I feel I’ve made a horrible mistake.

I worry that I won’t be able to complete the coursework or I’ll lose interest or I’m wasting my money on the program. It’s taking a lot of willpower not to unenroll.

I’m actively choosing to listen to the rational part of my brain which tells me that this program and change will be a good thing for me, but that doesn’t mean the anxiety goes away.

I’ll update you when I become the most adventurous person I know. I’m sure I’ll be eating candied scorpions by then.

From the creator of Quirky Rants: I’ve started a new publication called Nudge — a space for stories born from a sudden thought.

If you’ve ever had a thought that wouldn’t leave you alone until you turned it into a story, Nudge might be the place for it. Explore Nudge and submit your story.

Nudge — A Publication!

📌 This story is published under Quirky Rants — a home for unfiltered thoughts, everyday oddities, and real, relatable voices.
Want to share your story too? Join us here.

Quirky Rants — A Publication!

The Extreme Fear of Trying Something New was originally published in Quirky Rants on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.