“Light does not show the path; it reminds you you’re already on it.”
Microsoft Copilot
Shadows on the Yellow Brick Road:
One Woman’s Journey to Grow Wings Where She Was Once Broken
Dedication
For the lanternbearers— those who walk with trembling hands but never let go of the light. For the broken, the brave, and those still searching for their wings.
A Few Opening Reflections
As you prepare to step into these pages, remember that every chapter is a steppingstone along a path that mirrors the twists of our inner world. Each epigraph is not just a quote—it’s an invitation to linger on the meaning of our journeys.
• The Whisper of Wings hints that even the quietest parts of our being can hold the promise of transformation.
• The Lantern Tree, with its gentle guidance, reminds us that the path we walk is already lit with our past and potential.
In these beginnings, you might sense the echoes of your own quiet battles—as well as the profound courage that comes from believing in the beauty of renewal. This story, like your own journey, is not linear. It is woven with moments of doubt and flashes of unyielding hope, where every broken piece of the past becomes the blueprint for tomorrow’s wings.
Prologue: Before the Road
I didn’t know I had wings. Not when I fell. Not when I fractured. Not even when I woke up gasping in the dark.
But the road whispered. With every step I took—through thorn, through fog, through flame—I gathered truths I thought I’d lost. They didn’t arrive all at once. They came in quiet moments, in a reflection, in a touch, a voice that said, “You’re not alone.”
This isn’t the story of someone who was saved. It’s the story of someone who chose to believe that the broken things could still grow beautiful. That even shadows can follow a yellow brick road.
And that wings don’t carry you away— they carry you home.