In 2024, I joined the choir. On the surface, it felt like a simple decision—something creative, something expressive. But looking back, I see it was much more than that. It was preparation.

Choir is about using your voice. Blending it with others, yes—but still showing up with your own sound. I didn’t realize then how closely this would mirror what was coming in my life.

A few weeks before Easter that year, something shifted. I began experiencing intense stage fright. It felt sudden, almost ironic. The closer I got to moments where I would be seen and heard, the more my body reacted with fear.

At the time, I didn’t fully understand it. I just knew I was being pulled between two forces: the desire to express myself, and the fear of doing it wrong or being seen too clearly.

But I stayed.

I had to choose boldness, even when my voice felt uncertain. Even when fear tried to quiet me.

Looking back now, I see that season differently. It wasn’t just about choir. It was about learning to trust my voice in any form—on stage, in life, and eventually through my writing.

That same voice I was trying to protect is the one I would later use for my book.

What once felt like stage fright now feels like preparation. Not because fear disappears, but because I learned I could still speak while feeling it.

2024 wasn’t just a season of fear. It was a season of training me to be heard.