At first glance, beginnings look beautiful.

Sweet. Innocent. Full of promise.

We romanticize them — a first book, a friendly publisher.

She looked like hope.

She smiled like support.

But not everything that glitters is gold.

Sometimes, beneath the polished surface, there’s something sharp.

The pages were real. The story was mine.

But behind the scenes, there was silence where there should have been celebration.

Control where there should have been collaboration.

Like the image above — candy on the outside, razor blades within.

It’s a reminder: not all that begins sweetly ends the same way.

But here’s the truth — even in painful beginnings, there is something real.

A lesson. A warning. A chance to grow wiser.

Sometimes the hardest starts lead us to our strongest selves.

Not every beginning will be wrapped in joy.

Some will test us. Some will cut deep.

But we learn to look closer. To choose carefully.

To protect our hearts — and still keep them open.

Because beginnings are not just about hope.

They’re also about courage.

The courage to start again, even after we’ve been hurt.

The courage to trust — even when we’ve been let down.

And this — this is my favourite book.

Not because it was easy.

But because it showed me who I am, and what I deserve.

So if you're in the middle of something new — and it feels both sweet and scary — you're not alone.

Be gentle with yourself. Be honest with what you see.

Not every sweet thing is safe. But not every scar stays forever.

You’re allowed to begin again — this time, wiser.

This time, stronger.

This time, choosing what truly nourishes you.

And that, too…

is the sweetness of beginnings.