I looked at my bank account and felt ashamed of existing

Dear Delyara, I know that sentence is dramatic. It still felt true. I checked my bank account, did the quick calculations in my head, and suddenly everything in me got smaller. The room changed. My mood changed. Even the rest of the evening felt reduced somehow. Money has a way of doing that when you’ve lived with too much stress around it for too long. It becomes emotional faster than it should. One number can make you question your choices, your future, your freedom, even your worth if you’re not careful. I hate how quickly financial fear can enter the body.