[theme music]
Dan Jones: From The New York Times, I'm Dan Jones.
Miya Lee: And I'm Miya Lee.
This is the Modern Love podcast.
Today's essay comes from a writer named Kacey Vu Shap.
Dan Jones: I remember when this story first came in,
I was immediately taken by the power of it.
It was clearly the most important story in his life.
And it wasn't about traditional romantic love,
but more about self–acceptance through friendship.
Miya Lee: Yeah, I was struck by his bravery in sharing it,
and just kind of the beauty of his ability
to process the trauma he experienced in childhood and come to a really positive place.
Dan Jones: Yeah.
Miya Lee: It's called, 'Why Did She Leave Me There?'
It's written by Kacey Vu Shap,
and it's read by Keong Sim.
Keong Sim: The gate to the orphanage was smaller than I remembered.
Nearly 25 years had passed since I lived there.
I wondered if coming back was a good idea.