“The Echo of I Wish”

By Rishika Ganguly

I wish I had slowed down enough to feel the days instead of chasing them.

But now I know the quietest hours held the loudest truths.

I wish I had spoken less out of fear and more out of love.

But now I know the voice inside me was never meant to be silenced.

I wish I hadn’t wasted years trying to be perfect.

But now I know that scars don’t ruin stories — they write them.

I wish I had stayed when life felt too heavy to carry.

But now I know even broken wings can remember how to fly.

I wish I had told the people I love that they were enough.

But now I know it’s not too late —

even whispers can reach hearts.

I wish I hadn’t tried so hard to erase the parts of me that didn’t shine.

But now I know the shadows just mean the light is real.

I wish I could go back and hold my younger self —

scared, soft, and searching.

But now I know she became someone stronger than she ever imagined.

I wish I had seen the beauty in the ordinary.

But now I know that’s where life hides its miracles.

I wish I’d lived more for joy and less for approval.

But now I know I was never born to please the world —

only to live fully within it.

I wish I had known that letting go doesn’t mean giving up.

But now I know it means making space for something new to grow.

I wish I could rewind. But now I know the story is beautiful —

because it moved forward.