A Reflection of Who I Am

I am not loud in my triumphs, nor do I carry my scars for the world to see. My strength lies in the quiet places, where battles are fought in silence, where tears fall unseen, where the choice to stand again feels heavier than the world itself. I am not the warrior in the storybooks; I am the steady heart that beats through storms, the unwavering soul that refuses to break, no matter how much the world tries.

I have overexplained, overgiven, and overthought, perhaps because deep down, I fear being misunderstood, or worse, forgotten. But even in those moments, there is a quiet beauty in my imperfections. They remind me of my humanity, my ability to grow and evolve, even when the journey feels endless.

The scars I carry are not burdens; they are reminders. They tell the story of a heart that has loved deeply, even when it ached. Of someone who chose to stay when leaving felt easier. Of someone who, through every heartbreak, has held on to the fragile yet unyielding belief that better days would come.

I have given pieces of myself to people who did not deserve them. Not because I was weak, but because I believed in the beauty of love, in the promise that kindness and patience could heal even the most fractured of hearts. I have held onto people longer than I should have — not because I couldn’t let go, but because I hoped they would see the light I was offering them.

But I’ve learned this: not everyone will recognize the value of a heart that loves without measure. Some will see it as a gift; others, as something to take for granted. And so I’ve had to teach myself that my worth is not diminished by those who fail to see it. My love is not lesser because it was not returned.

I am the quiet resilience that grows in the cracks. The kind of strength that doesn’t shout but holds firm, even when it feels like the ground beneath me is falling away. My life is not a tale of unshaken victories; it is a story of how I found beauty in the struggle, how I kept my heart open even when it begged to close, how I turned pain into lessons and lessons into growth.

There is strength in being tender. There is power in choosing love when hate feels easier. There is courage in being soft in a world that can be so cruel. This is who I am: someone who chooses to see the good, to hold on to hope, to rebuild even when everything falls apart.

I am not defined by the people who have walked away, nor by the heartbreaks that have tried to undo me. I am defined by how I’ve stayed true to myself through it all. And for that, I know: I am enough. Always have been, always will be.

07/11/2024