I Corrected the Mistake Without Laughing It Away

Dear Delyara, They said my name wrong. Again. Normally I’d do the little smile. The “It’s okay.” The tiny laugh women use when we are deciding in real time whether dignity is worth more than comfort in the room. This time I didn’t laugh. I corrected it. Calmly. Once. Clearly. And then I let the silence stay. It felt bigger than a name. It felt like refusing one more small erasure. I’m starting to understand that self-esteem isn’t always something you feel before the moment. Sometimes it’s something you do in the moment, with your voice, with your spine, with how little extra cushioning you add around your own right to exist accurately. I walked out of that room feeling stronger than the situation deserved. That told me everything.