I looked in the mirror and thought, you’re running on fumes

Dear Delyara, There was something about my face yesterday evening that told the truth more clearly than I had been willing to say it out loud. The flatness around the eyes. The mouth carrying too much restraint. The general expression of a woman who has spent all day being appropriate in too many directions and has not yet had time to become fully herself again. Usually when I catch myself looking worn out, I move straight into criticism. Last night, unexpectedly, I felt tenderness. Maybe because it was so obvious. Maybe because I am finally getting tired of treating exhaustion like a personal flaw instead of the visible result of how much I am carrying.