I stayed long enough with the numbers to think instead of shrink

Dear Delyara, That may be one of the strongest things I’ve done lately. I stayed. I looked. I let the numbers remain reality long enough for thought to arrive before panic did. That gap matters. It gives me back dignity. It gives me back agency. It gives me back the possibility of practicality before shame floods everything. This week the gap was wider. I am proud of that.