Elif opened the book at random. Her eyes fell upon a passage about a candle that does not lose its light by lighting another. She thought of her own life—the competition at her job, the fear of being "less" if others had "more." As she read further, the words of Mevlana (Rumi) began to act like a soothing balm:
Another "drop" taught her that the world is a mirror. If she saw ugliness, it was because her own heart needed dusting. If she saw love, it was because she had finally allowed herself to be loved. Mevlana Denizinden Damlalar KitabД±nД±
"This is not a book to be read," Selim whispered. "It is a sea to be felt. Each page is a drop, and each drop holds the entire ocean." Elif opened the book at random
By the time Elif left Konya, she hadn't found a "solution" to her problems, but she had found something better: a way to swim. She realized that while she was just a "drop" in the vast sea of existence, as Rumi wrote, she was also If she saw ugliness, it was because her