When I was a child, the world felt very scary,

I needed my mom to hold my hand,

So I wouldn’t be afraid.

As I grew up, I still felt anxious,

And I also started to feel like maybe it was just me—

The weird one, the different one.

There were times when I wished I could be someone else,

Or at least more like everyone else.

But, I had

Two brothers,

Older than me,

Who made me proud of the uniqueness in me.

Just as I was proud of theirs.

But, it wasn’t easy for them either,

Even when they laughed and smiled,

The heart can cry from the inside.

But when you’re a child, it’s not so bad,

Maybe you just got a little bruise.

What isn’t always visible,

Is that the bruise is deeper,

Inside.

Where only I can feel it.

And all that looks colorful and pleasant from the outside,

Inside, feels different to me.

This book is dedicated

To one of my brothers,

Who dared to be different.

In a world where people admire flowers,

He felt the thorns more.

He tried and tried to do things his way,

But,

This world didn’t match his growing conditions.

He hurt and hurt

For almost all of his days.

Until the moment he was freed,

Even then, he didn’t give up.

And he went out like a star,

A star that dared.

A different child,

Yotam.