Be Proud

Meera clutched her grandmother's worn poetry collection, its Tamil verses faded but luminous. Living in distant cities, her family scattered across continents, she felt untethered from home. At PaybookClub's monthly gathering, she discovered others like her—diaspora children yearning for roots. That evening, she read her grandmother's poems aloud, her voice trembling. The room fell silent, then erupted. Fellow members embraced her afterward, sharing their own heritage struggles. Walking home, Meera understood something profound: she carried her culture within her, alive and vibrant. Her grandmother's words bridged oceans, connecting generations through ink and memory, through community recognition.