I nearly cried because someone was gentle

Dear Delyara, Someone was unexpectedly kind to me today and I nearly cried. Not because anything dramatic had happened. Because gentleness reached me harder than it should have. I think when you’ve been carrying too much for too long, or moving through life in a very self-managed way, a small softness can feel disproportionate. A patient tone. A slower voice. Someone not rushing you. Someone treating you like there is time. It made me realize how starved I’ve become for simple emotional ease. I smiled and carried on like a normal person. Inside, something had already cracked open. Maybe that’s the truth tonight: I need more softness than I’ve been admitting.