# @thekoreanvegan on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DeQHmCTu8pT
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/71505271-thekoreanvegan-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/593ab3e25e.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-10-08T23:30:06.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Joanne L. Molinaro, The Korean Vegan (@thekoreanvegan) — https://gondola.cc/thekoreanvegan

## Caption

This story is from my book, Seven Princesses, where I write about falling in love with all the fresh, shiny optimism that attaches to a teenaged romance. I grew up being a bit feisty, I suppose you could say, a bit of a tom-boy.

I never would have guessed that I would turn into “the woman who stayed.” 

After my divorce, my girlfriends and I would talk about “non-negotiable” criteria over coffee and cake, while in my bones, all I wanted was a man who’d make me feel safe. I was ashamed to say it out loud, like doing so would “mark me” in some indelible way. I suppose I have been marked, though. There’s nothing I can do to change that anymore.

I like to tell other women, “your scars are proof of your resilience.” Why is it so hard to convince myself, then? That the way I cringe when a man yells too loud, the way I flinch when he gets too close to my face, the way I hide how hungry I am for safety—that these are not things that make me weak, but things that prove I’ve survived?

I asked my closest girlfriend to read my book, front to back. She told me  the thing she found most satisfying was how I honest I am. The “Joanne” in my story isn’t perfect. She often makes the wrong decision. She does things you will almost certainly disagree with. But it is a truthful story, one without a perfectly tied up resolution. Because the truth is? I want to believe I am strong; but, I’m not sure that I always do.

These bagels? They ARE perfect LOL. Sometimes, I think cooking and baking is a form of self-love, one requiring less interrogation (and more joyous consumption). If you want the recipe, comment “bagel” and I’ll DM it to you along with details about my book, Seven Princesses.

#sevenprincesses #bagel #womenstories

## Stats

- **Views:** 96,863
- **Likes:** 5,215
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 279

## Tags

sevenprincesses, bagel, womenstories

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