Somewhere in the Playground

Melody Joelle Chavez has always seen life as a playground- where seesaws lift and fall, merry-go-rounds spinning in circles, swings going forward only to come back to where they started, and slides that would make you realize the enjoyment of letting go. But the irony was that she was once a young girl who traded playtime for perfect grades, too busy collecting medals, and made her mark as an achiever. But the journey of growing up has a funny way fading things out of sight. Somewhere in that path, she lost the girl who once knew herself well.

And then came Rafael Hendrix Valencia- a childhood classmate, who walked back into her life years later. Through the small talks, the shared laughter, and the gentle chaos of reconnection, she began seeing the girl she used to be; the one she thought she'd outgrown.

Life changes people, but sometimes all it takes is one familiar face to remind us of who we once were. Growing up isn't always about moving forward, but also finding our way back to the parts of ourselves that we left behind... somewhere in the playground.