THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY. - by Reuben Esther Chidera

Sometimes, we do not need advice. We just need someone to noticethat our smile is not as real as it looks. Sometimes, we say,“I am fine,”because explaining the truthwould require us to open woundswe have spent so long trying to hide. There are nightswhen we lie in bed,staring at the ceiling,replaying conversationswe wish had ended differently. We think about the wordswe should have said. The apologies we never received. The questions that still have no answers. And the peoplewho once meant everything to usbut are now strangerswe pretend not to miss. Sometimes, we miss peoplewithout calling them. We love peoplewithout telling them. We forgive peoplewithout telling themhow deeply they hurt us. And sometimes,we walk awaynot because we stopped caring, but because stayingwas slowly teaching usto forget who we were. We become expertsat hiding our pain. We laugh with our friends. We answer messages. We go to work. We post pictures. We tell everyonethat life is going well. But when the noise disappearsand we are finally alone, the silence tells the truth. It reminds usof everything we triednot to feel. And perhapsthat is why we should be kinderto the people around us. The quiet friend. The person who suddenly became distant. The one who smiles all the time. The person who stopped complainingbecause they got tiredof feeling unheard. You never really knowwhat someone is carrying. Some people are fighting battlesthey will never post about. Some are healingfrom things they cannot explain. Some are trying to becomethemselves againafter losing pieces of who they werejust to keep someone else happy. So be gentle. Be patient. Ask someone how they areand actually wait for the answer. Tell the people you lovethat you appreciate them. Say the thingsyou keep postponing. Because sometimes,the words we leave unsaidbecome the wordswe wish we had said sooner. And if you are the onesilently carrying too much, remember this: You do not always have to be strong. You are allowed to cry. You are allowed to rest. You are allowed to admitthat something hurts. You are allowed to ask for help. You are allowed to start over. Your silence does not make your painany less real. And your struggledoes not make you weak. Sometimes, surviving the dayis already an achievement. So tonight,put down the weightyou were never meantto carry alone. Take a breath. You are still here. And maybe that is enoughfor today. Some of the deepest battlesare fought in silence,but that does not meanyou have to fight them alone.

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