Mariam Abidat
Moderator 
MARIAM ABIDAT
Mariam Abidat is a Moroccan-British writer and editor born in London in 2003. She is the Publishing Director of Barcelona Literary Magazine and a Board Member of the World Writers’ Union.
Her works include Kharbashat (2023), Shunning and Separation (2024), Ezzouf and Separation (2024), Your Last Melody (2024), and The Sacrificial Offerings (2024).
Her upcoming short story collection, The Black Veil, continues her exploration of identity, connection, and the complexities of human experience.
Hesitant steps
In a quiet corner of my heart, there was a hidden place known only to me and happiness. I searched for her everywhere, running after her as if she were a mirage. My life was filled with challenges, each step taking me farther from my dreams, and each moment filled with questions that had no answers.
One day, while walking through a crowded street, I suddenly stopped at an old window. Light filtered through it as if the sun had decided to illuminate my path. I felt something strange, maybe it was happiness, or maybe it was a fleeting thought. But I decided to ask her, so I approached and whispered :
« Where have you been all these years ? Why were you so far from me ? »
Suddenly, I felt her presence beside me, as if she were smiling at me. She answered in a calm voice :
« I was never far from you. I’ve been here all along, but you were searching for me in the wrong places. »
I was surprised and asked her :
« What do you mean ? I’ve searched in work, in relationships, in travel, in everything. But you were never there. »
Happiness answered gently :
« You thought that happiness came from the outside, from what you have or who is around you. But true happiness starts from within. It’s not in things or places, but in your ability to accept and live in the moment. »
I felt a sense of relief but also confusion, so I asked :
« How can I find you then ? How can I live this happiness you’re talking about ? »
Happiness smiled and said :
« Start from within. Give yourself moments of peace, make every day a new beginning, don’t look back at past pain or waste time searching for perfection. Happiness is not a distant goal, but a feeling that arises in your heart when you learn to live in the now. »
Her words were like light in the darkness, as if she opened a new window before me. In that moment, I understood that happiness wasn’t something I had to chase after ; it was a state of inner awareness, of being content with who I am.
I decided to live life as it is, with all its twists and colors. And finally, I began to feel it—the happiness I had been searching for all these years. It wasn’t outside of me ; it was in every step I took, in every moment I lived.
Journey to happiness
I walked in the footsteps of Thabitha Noah, drawing inspiration from her patience and resilience in the face of life’s storms. I painted happiness on my cheeks like an artist creating a beautiful canvas, where every moment of life became filled with hope and determination. I learned from Thabitha that happiness does not come from circumstances, but from the inner strength that allows us to stand firm in the face of challenges, no matter how difficult or painful they may be.
Mariam Abidat/ Morocco
The article was published without intervention by the editorial office!
