What It Means to Live Your Truth
Dear Radiant Soul, Have you ever felt the quiet ache of pretending? The discomfort of hiding parts of yourself just to be accepted, chosen, or loved? Many of us walk through life wearing emotional wigs, costumes, and masks—afraid that our truth may be too much, or not enough. But what if the very thing we’re hiding is the gateway to our freedom? Let me tell you about Yemi. Yemi was a vibrant, intelligent woman living with alopecia. For years, she wore wigs to hide her baldness, afraid that no man would marry a woman without hair. She smiled brightly, but never let her fiancé see her natural head. Every time he ran his hand near her scalp, she'd tense. As the wedding approached, so did the weight of fear. What if he found out and left? she wondered. One evening, tired of the charade, she removed her wig in front of the mirror, stared at her bare head, and wept. Not because she was ugly—but because she'd never given herself a chance to feel beautiful as she was. That ...