UNSPOKEN REALITIES

SHADOWS FROM THE PAST

Hello. You look... different. You're not like I imagined.

I know. You're not like I remember either. You were full of dreams and hopes. Look at us now... Is this what you expected?

I don't know. I thought we would be happy, that everything would be fixed with growing up. What happened to us? Why do you look so tired?

Life wasn't as simple as we imagined. I grew up and lost some of you along the way. Time doesn't wait, and I... just let myself drift, without direction, without that spark you had.

I just wanted to be happy, to find a place to belong. I dreamed of so many things... of being strong, of not being afraid. But now I look at you and... I see someone who has lost their way. Where did we go wrong?

It hurts to say it, but I think I left you behind. Sometimes I think about you and everything you wanted, and I feel like I've failed you. I'm not the person you wanted to be. I'm not the version of us you expected.

We always had fears, remember? Fear of not being enough, of not finding our way. I thought growing up meant being brave, that one day we would stop feeling this way. But now I see that we're still trapped in the same fear, only with more scars.

Yes, and I'm so sorry. I keep chasing something I can't reach, and the more I try, the more I feel like I'm falling behind. I see people moving forward, achieving things, while I stay here, struggling with ghosts you should never have had to carry.

But you're still here. We're still us, even if we're not perfect, even if it all hurts. I always thought that growing up would make us understand more, but it seems like we only understand what we've lost.

Sometimes I wish I could go back to being you, to have those eyes full of hope, to believe that everything is possible. But time goes on, and I'm still here, not knowing if I'll ever be the person you wanted me to be.

You don't need to be perfect. I just wanted you to be happy... and not to forget what we dreamed of, even if those dreams are no longer possible. I just want you to keep trying, for us, because even though time takes so much from us, you still have the power to do something with what's left.

I promise to try. For you, for us. I can't change the past, but maybe I can still find a bit of that little kid who keeps dreaming somewhere in my heart. Even if it's just a little.

That's all I need to hear. Just don't forget me...