I nearly cried when my daughter said, “You look tired again”

Dear Delyara, It wasn’t said cruelly. It was said gently, almost like concern. That may be why it hit so hard. Children notice things without tact and without agenda. She was just telling the truth she could see on my face. And hearing that truth from her made me realise how visible my tiredness has become lately, even when I think I’m managing it reasonably well. I smiled and said I was okay. But inside I felt that painful mix of love and guilt that comes when you realise your internal state is becoming part of your children’s atmosphere. That is not the mother I want to be, though of course I know nobody gets to be untouched by life forever. Still, the sentence stayed with me.