The Things We Never Say

There are things  
we carry quietly,  
not because they are small,  
but because we never found  
a place safe enough to put them down.

Words we swallowed  
to keep the peace.  
Tears we hid  
to keep someone else comfortable.  
Dreams we abandoned  
because nobody told us  
they were worth chasing.

And somehow,  
we keep going.

We wake beneath the same sky,  
answer the same questions,  
wear the same familiar smiles,  
while something inside us  
begins to ask for a little honesty.

Perhaps healing  
doesn't always arrive like sunlight.

Sometimes,  
it is simply the moment  
you stop pretending you're fine.

The moment you let yourself feel  
what you've spent years avoiding.  
The moment you forgive yourself  
for being human.

So today,  
be gentle with the person  
you are still becoming.

You don't have to explain  
every silence.

You don't have to turn  
every wound into wisdom.

And you don't have to be strong  
every time the world expects you to be.

Some days,  
existing is enough.

Some days,  
trying again is courage.

And some days,  
the bravest thing you can do  
is tell yourself the truth  
and still choose to stay  
on your own side.

Because you, too,  
deserve the kindness  
you keep saving  
for everyone else.