Coming Home to Myself
I’ve kept so much inside for so long that it’s begun to choke me. I’ve been “good” for years — silent, pleasing, responsible — because I thought that’s what love meant. But I’m not okay anymore. I feel used, burdened, and exhausted. You expect me to carry not only my own life but yours too — your pain, your guilt, your fears, your dreams. I can’t do it anymore. Every time I try to speak my truth, you make me feel guilty. When you withdraw into sadness, it makes me feel like I’m breaking you. When you cry , it traps me in shame and silence. But I am not the villain. I am looking out for myself. I am a person. I have limits. I need space to become who I am. I need to stop living your lives for you. And I need you to stop expecting me to sacrifice mine. I love you. But I need to love myself too — and I am so far away from that right now. I am allowed to live honestly, even if that honesty is uncomfortable. And so I’m beginning, finally, to choose truth over guilt. Even if you...