(Grandma and Netnet, her dog won't last and I'm already keeping my distance emotionally.)
One of the less admirable parts of me is how emotionally detached I can become.
People often see someone expressive, funny, strong, intense, or emotionally fearless. What they do not always see is the habit I developed long ago: disconnecting before something had the chance to break me completely.
Somewhere along the way, life taught me that attachment could quickly become disappointment. So I adapted.
Instead of becoming softer, I became someone who could quietly leave a situation in my heart while my body was still standing in the same room.
For a long time, I mistook that ability for strength.
Sometimes it was. It helped me survive seasons that demanded more than I thought I could bear.
But survival and healing are not the same thing.
What protects us in one chapter of life can quietly keep us distant in the next. The walls that once guarded our hearts can also keep out the very relationships, joys, and moments we were meant to experience.
I am learning that growth is not always about becoming stronger. Sometimes it is about having the courage to stay present, even when there is no guarantee that life will not disappoint us again.
Perhaps maturity is not the absence of pain, but the willingness to remain open despite knowing that pain is still possible.
The photo is mine.
Thanks for reading.馃槉
