Finding My Voice

Some people don't celebrate light.

Some people resent it.

Some people look at joy and feel the need to dim it.

At first the comments were small.
"You're too sensitive."
"You're a little much."
"You're exhausting sometimes."
"You take things too personally."

They said these things with laughter. With shrugs. With the casual cruelty of people who expect you to swallow their words and thank them for it.

So I did.

Because I thought the problem must be me.
I tried to quiet myself.

I sang less.
I spoke less.
I laughed less.

The girl I once was slowly disappeared.

In her place was someone smaller. Quieter. Someone who apologized for everything - even existing.

I thought if I just tried harder... if I softened myself enough... if I stopped being "too much"... they would finally accept me.

But you cannot shrink yourself into someone else's comfort without disappearing completely.

And one day, I realized something that changed everything.

I was never too much.

I was just surrounded by people who couldn't handle someone who felt deeply, loved loudly, and lived fully.

This is the story of how I lost myself.

And how I found my voice again.