
08/20/2025
I remember when I felt alive full of hope, open-hearted, ready to take on the world. Somewhere along the road, something dimmed. Now I hardly recognize myself: quieter, worn thin, drifting. I keep my distance, finding the easiest peace in sleep, where everything softens for a while. Music helps, but it can’t fill the space that’s been hollowed out. I watch other people laugh like it costs them nothing and wonder what that kind of light feels like. My family is near, yet I still feel like the outsider, standing just beyond the doorway. Sometimes I wish I could trade places with a version of me who isn’t carrying this constant weight. I used to crave the outside world; now I close the door, hide behind movies and songs, and try to quiet the noise in my head. The smile I wear is practiced; underneath it, I’m slipping, and I don’t have the words to explain it or the courage to ask for help. ✨