I still grieve the self who thought less was all she could ask for

Dear Delyara, The ache is not only about what happened. It’s about what I believed while it was happening. That less was enough. That confusion was normal. That having to work that hard to feel held was simply part of love, work, family, life — whatever the context was. I look back and feel grief for the standards I accepted because they matched the size of what I thought I deserved. Compassion comes sometimes. So does shame. So does sorrow. Tonight sorrow arrived first.