This is a short episode deep diving into Identity, Healing, and Self- Protection.

If you’re listening and you’re struggling with this too, just know—you are not alone.

It’s okay to be scared.

It’s okay to take your time.

It’s okay to have boundaries and still want to be seen.

But don’t let fear keep you trapped.

Because you deserve to exist fully.

You deserve to be loved for who you are, not just for who the world has forced you to become.

And when you find the right people?

You won’t have to fight to be seen.

This episode is all about deep self-reflection, healing, and learning to let go while appreciating every person's role in our lives. This episode speaks on the lessons people bring, grieving people who are still alive, the risk of vulnerability and moving forward with gratitude.

So if you’re struggling to let go… if you’re holding onto someone who’s already gone… if you’re grieving someone who’s still here… know that you are not alone.

People will come and go. That’s life. But the lessons? The love? The experiences? Those will always stay with you.

And the right people? The ones meant for you? They’ll always find their way back. And if they don’t… maybe their purpose was to help you find yourself.

Thank you for listening. Thank you for growing with me. Until next time… take care of yourself.

These themes of love, self-sabotage, divine timing, and personal growth, creating a rich and vulnerable narrative for the podcast episode. This dialogue will expand on the emotions, fears, and realizations, weaving them into a deeper journey of healing and empowerment.

We are all on this journey of healing and growth, and I am still learning. I am still unlearning all the things I thought I knew about love, relationships, and what it means to truly be seen. And if you’re still on that journey too, I want you to know—you’re not alone.

If you’re struggling with self-sabotage, if you’re afraid of being vulnerable, if you’re scared to let someone see the real you, that’s okay. But don’t stay there. Keep pushing, keep growing, keep trusting. And when the time is right, the love that you deserve will find you.

So, let’s stop settling. Let’s trust the journey. Let’s trust Allah’s plan. And most importantly, let’s remember that we are worthy of love—not because of how perfect we are, but because of how beautifully imperfect we are.

Thank you for being with me today. I’ll catch you next time on Dear Melanin KD.

This episode has themes of self-sabotage, divine timing, faith in Allah, and the ups and downs of life, all from your personal perspective. It touches on the struggle, reflection, and growth, offering space for listeners to reflect and connect with their own journey.

This is where I want to leave you with something important: You are not alone in this journey. We are all unlearning, growing, and healing. And together, we can trust in the timing of our lives, knowing that everything we need will come when the time is right.

So, I ask you to reflect on this: What if you stopped trying to force things? What if you leaned into faith, trusted Allah’s plan, and allowed divine timing to unfold in your life?

Trust that the path is already set for you. All you need to do is keep walking, one step at a time.

This journey to loving my hair? It’s still ongoing. There are still days where I struggle, still moments where I catch myself falling into old patterns. But I remind myself—this isn’t just about hair. It’s about identity. It’s about reclaiming the parts of ourselves we were taught to reject.

And I want to leave you with this:

What would it take for you to love yourself completely, without conditions?

Sit with that. Reflect on it. And meet me back here next time.

What would it feel like to love yourself without hesitation? To take every compliment—not just the ones about your skin—but the ones about your intelligence, your presence, your energy?

And if you’re already there, I ask you—how are you passing that love forward? How are you making sure the next dark-skinned girl knows she never has to question her worth?

Because at the end of the day, we break these barriers together.

This is just the beginning of Dear Melanin KD. This podcast is about reflection, about healing, about truth. And I want you to walk away from each episode with something to think about.

So today, I leave you with this: How much of yourself have you dimmed to make others comfortable? And what would it take to step fully into your light?

And one more thing—Who have you pushed away because you thought you had to heal alone? And is it time to let them in?

Think on that. Sit with it. And meet me back here next time.