THE OBSTACLE I LOVED THE MOST

I am Cesur Melek.

Living up to my name-being both brave and kind-hearted-has always felt like a mission in life.

This has been true for as long as I can remember, though the nature of that mission has shifted and evolved with time. As I grew older, I had to absorb and endure many difficult experiences to make sense of life. Looking back now, I realize that the hardest times were during my childhood. Some wounds only began to heal during my high school and university years.

I owe who I am today to my past.

Even though everything I've written here comes from my own life, some memories still feel so vivid that they blur the lines between past and present. I believe that if a person forgets their past-or chooses not to face it-they can't fully live in the present, nor can they look toward the future with hope.

I never forgot.

Not even for a single day did I want to.

And I hope you don't forget either.

Because happiness isn't found by grieving over what we lack, but by celebrating what we already have.

That's why I've written this book.

It's a journey of hope.

And if there's one way I'd like to be remembered- let it be through this book.