I still make my pain sound reasonable before I let it sound real

Dear Delyara, I bring context first. Nuance first. Evidence first. I smooth the edges before anyone else can decide they’re too much. I don’t think people always realise how many women become excellent at translating their own hurt into something less inconvenient before it reaches the room. It sounds mature. It sounds balanced. It sounds fair. Often it is also sad, because by the time the pain is shared, half its truth has already been removed for the comfort of others. I’m tired of how polished suffering can become when you’ve spent long enough trying not to be difficult while carrying it.